Driver who killed ride-hailing passenger gets death in China

BEIJING – A driver for the biggest ride-hailing service in China had been sentenced to death for raping and killing a young passenger.

The Wenzhou City Intermediate Court sentenced Zhong Yuan on Friday after he was convicted in a case that drew attention due to the proliferation of such driving services.

The court said the 28-year-old Zhong started working for Didi Chuxing after racking up gambling debts. The company fired two executives and suspended one of its carpooling services following the killing last summer.

Didi says it books 30 million rides daily nationwide.

Police said the 19-year-old victim, identified only by her surname, Zhao, had used the carpooling service on the afternoon of Aug. 24 and had messaged friends for help while being driven to a remote mountainous area outside Wenzhou.