A court in northeast China’s Liaoning Province on Tuesday sentenced a man to death for killing six children and injuring 20 people as he drove into children crossing the road.

The defendant, Han Jihua, drove a sedan into a group of over 60 children and their two teachers before fleeing the scene on Nov. 22 last year, according to the Intermediate People’s Court of the city of Huludao.

He was arrested by the police less than an hour later.

The court said Han’s crime was premeditated and motivated by grievances and hostilities towards society stemming from financial difficulties and complexities in interpersonal and conjugal relations.

It also said it has handed down the death penalty based on the nature of the crime and its social impact.

Han’s motivations for the crime were dismal and despicable and the crime, which was committed in an atrocious way, severely endangered public safety, according to the court.

NAN