The driver of a bus which crashed in Jioufen, killing five Hong Kong tourists, was in custody yesterday facing charges of manslaughter related to alleged negligence and drunk driving, a prosecutor said.
Hsu Chung-hsing (徐仲興), who suffered head injuries in Monday's accident, was taken into custody late on Tuesday after his family failed to pay the NT$1 million (US$29,500) bail for his release, prosecutor Lai Cheng-sheng (賴正聲) said.
If found guilty, Hsu could be jailed for up to seven years and six months and fined NT$145,500. His driver's license would also be revoked permanently.
Five Hong Kong residents were killed and 31 others were injured when the double-decker coach plunged off the road in the scenic town in Taipei County.
Tests found the alcohol concentration in the driver's blood was much higher than the permitted level.
But Hsu has insisted he had not been drinking prior to the accident.
He did admit to drinking kaoliang, a spirit with a high alcohol content, the night before.
However, a restaurant at which Hsu had lunch before the crash had said he had been drinking, Lai said.
Allegations by passengers that he had been talking on his mobile phone before the crash were not supported by telecommunication records, Lai said.
But police were also investigating whether he had been talking on the bus intercom system, Lai said.
Hsu has denied the allegations and blamed the accident on the bus' braking system.
Transport authorities will examine the wreckage of the bus yesterday to determine if its brakes failed.
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