Eight Chinese visitors from Shanghai and a scooter driver ended up at a Chiayi County hospital yesterday after a scooter collided with a tour bus.
None of the injuries were serious, including those of the driver of the scooter, surnamed Chang (張).
Police were still trying to determine the cause of the accident, which occurred about 3pm on the Southern National Highway No. 2 near the Jhuci express ramp bordering Minhsiung (民雄) and Jhuci (竹崎) townships.
Photo: Lin Yi-chang, Taipei Times
Firefighters were dispatched to the scene and they sent all nine of the injured to the Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital for medical treatment.
Police said the Chinese tour group arrived in Taiwan on March 6 and had been to Alishan (阿里山) in the morning for sightseeing. Their bus was turning onto the highway when Chang suddenly made a left-hand turn, causing the bus driver, surnamed Chen (陳), to slam on the emergency brakes in an effort to avoid hitting the scooter.
The scooter hit the left side of the bus, causing passengers sitting on the left-hand side of the coach to hit their heads against the windows, while a woman sitting in the first row, surnamed Pan (潘), was thrown against the front windshield.
She had a bloody nose, but the hospital said an X-ray showed she had not suffered more serious injuries.
The other seven tourists and Chang had suffered only minor injuries, the hospital said.
Police said the rest of the tour group would continue their trip — on a different bus.
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