A driver who unintentionally hit and killed five people in eastern China has been handed a six-year prison sentence, which many in the country are characterizing as too lenient.

The announcement Monday by the Xihu District People’s Court, located in Zhejiang’s provincial capital of Hangzhou, led to heated discussion online, with a trending hashtag about the case viewed 540 million times by Tuesday afternoon. The driver, surnamed Chen, had inadvertently barreled through an intersection in the city after confusing the gas pedal for the brakes in July 2018, killing five pedestrians.

Since the tragedy occurred, social media users have chastised the driver in vitriolic comments beneath news reports about the story. Many netizens have blamed the accident on Chen’s gender, claiming she was unable to safely operate her SUV because she is female. Others, meanwhile, have criticized Chen for wearing flip-flops at the time of the deadly incident, which is prohibited under Zhejiang’s traffic laws. (Image: VCG)