A girl has been sentenced to two years of probation for a killing a bicyclist while driving without a license in March 2013 in Changning district, the local court said Thursday.

The court gave the defendant, who was not identified, a suspended 18-month prison sentence in July because she called the police immediately after the collision and agreed to pay death compensation to the victim's family, according to a press release from the Changning District People's Court. She was charged with causing a traffic accident.

The accident occurred on March 15, 2013, when the defendant's boyfriend, who had rented a car, let her get behind the wheel to practice her driving, the court said. The defendant drove slowly for about 100 meters until she and her boyfriend heard a thump. She then lost control of the car, which crashed into a tree on the side of the road.

They found that the car had struck a bicyclist who was riding in the same direction, the court said. The bicyclist was dead.

The court did not disclose any information about the victim other than that she was female.

In the accident report, police said the defendant caused the accident and was fully responsible for the bicyclist's death.

The court took into account that the girl had effectively turned herself in when she called the police to report the accident.

The defendant will have to serve out her prison sentence if she violates her probation.

The following July, the victim's family filed a 950,000-yuan ($152,950) wrongful death lawsuit against the defendant, her boyfriend, the insurance company and the car rental agency, the court said.

In September, the court awarded the victim's family 923,000 yuan in compensation. It ordered the insurance company to pay 110,000 yuan and the defendant and her boyfriend to each pay 406,000 yuan. The court ruled that the defendant's boyfriend bore some responsibility for the death because he allowed her to drive without a license.

The court also awarded 94,460 yuan to the car rental agency, which had sued the defendant's boyfriend in December for compensation for overdue rental fees, repair costs and other expenses.

Global Times