Motorcyclist dies after being hit by NSB agent's car

A motorcyclist died yesterday morning after colliding with a car driven by a National Security Bureau (NSB) agent who was on his way to join President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) motorcade in Pingtung.

At 8am, the motorcyclist, Pang Te-ling (潘德霖), first hit an automobile at an intersection in Chunji township and then collided with the security agent's car which was approaching in the opposite direction. Pang, 47, was rushed to hospital but died despite efforts to resuscitate him.

Initial investigations by local police showed that Pang's blood-alcohol level was several times the legal limit. However, verifying whether Pang ran a red light, as claimed by the agent, will have to await further investigation, the police said.

Meanwhile, Chen's scheduled trip was not affected by the accident, although the president asked the NSB to coordinate with the family of the victim.

The president first visited a nursery home for aboriginal citizens in Chunji township, the first such nursery home in Taiwan. He later visited Fangliao Primary School to offer congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the school's establishment.

The accident drew flak from the KMT, with one KMT official questioning whether the president's frequent trips to the countryside are necessary.

KMT official Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權) said it is good that Chen is concerned about local development, but added that the president takes official trips to the countryside too frequently.