A repairman was sentenced to one and a half years in jail, with reprieve, after failing to secure a bus tire that killed a 3-year-old toddler, the Pudong New Area People's Court heard on Thursday.

According to the court, on February 21, the left rear tyre of a No. 795 bus came off as it was driving along Yanggao Road S. The dislodged tire struck a 3-year-old boy who was standing on the side of the road with his grandfather. The child later died in hospital from injuries sustained during the incident.

An investigation found that the tire should have been secured by eight nuts, but only three were found at the scene.

Court records reveal that the involved bus received maintenance at a local repair company on February 15. Evidence showed that the repairman who worked on the bus tires, a man surnamed Chen, failed to check whether each nut was properly secured with equal tension. Experts further ruled out the possibility of mechanical failure to explain the accident.

On May 16, Chen surrendered himself to local police. The bus company also provided compensation to the boy's family.

Chen was sentenced for causing a serious accident through negligence. He was given a lenient sentence in light of his surrendering and the company's compensation, according to the court.