National Police Ageny (NPA) Director-General Chen Kuo-en (陳國恩) called for tougher penalties on drunk driving after a police officer was hit by a drunk driver in New Taipei City yesterday.
After learning that the officer sustained serious injuries to his legs, Chen said: “This is a tragedy for our police force. We repeat that society must crack down on drunk driving, and we must have a ‘zero tolerance’ policy toward this crime.”
The incident occurred shortly after 7am, when the police officer from New Taipei City’s Lujhou District Precinct was directing traffic on Highway No. 65 near the Wugu District (五股) exit.
The 36-year-old traffic officer was working to ensure traffic was flowing freely ahead of the arrival of a motorcade carrying Premier Lin Chuan (林全), who was heading to Hsinchu Science Industrial Park to inspect the National Space Organization and the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center.
A car, reportedly driven by a 32-year-old woman surnamed Chen (陳), slammed into the officer and pinned him against another car.
The officer was placing rubber cones on the road at the time of the incident.
The officer was bleeding profusely when emergency services arrived and he was rushed to the emergency ward at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.
A medical team operated on the officer throughout the day.
A hospital spokesman said they have saved the officer’s left leg, but his right leg had to be amputated below the knee.
Government officials and members of the public expressed their concern and sympathy for the police officer.
The driver was reportedly a repeat offender, and allegedly had a blood alcohol level of 0.87mg/L at the time of the incident, well above the legal limit of 0.15mg/L.
Chen’s driver’s license had reportedly been suspended for prior drunk driving convictions.
She was detained for questioning, and police officials said they would charge her with offenses against public safety and negligence causing injury.
New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) and NPA Deputy Director-General Chou Wen-ko (周文科) earlier visited the hospital to check up on the police officer.
They asked the medical team to do their utmost to help the officer, and told subordinates to provide assistance to his family.
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