Prosecutors in Hualien County are to charge a taxi driver with offenses against public safety and negligence after he allegedly drove his vehicle when drunk and caused an accident that killed two cyclists.
The fatal accident occurred on Saturday morning, with police officers apprehending taxi driver Chen Chien-feng (陳建峰), 38, who was transferred to the Hualien District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday for questioning.
Video footage showed Chen driving his taxi at high speed southbound on the Suao-Hualien Highway when the vehicle swerved out of control and plowed sideways into oncoming traffic. The vehicle allegedly hit two men on bicycles riding north.
One cyclist was found lying in the middle of the road and the other was found on the roadside. The victims were taken by ambulance to a local hospital, but were pronounced dead shortly after.
A witness at the scene said the taxi appeared to be going faster than 100kph, which meant there was no chance for the cyclists to take evasive action.
When police arrived, the driver tried to run away and appeared to be in an incoherent state, the witness added.
Tests showed the driver had a blood alcohol level of 0.79 milligrams per liter (mg/L), which is much higher than the legal limit of 0.15mg/L.
Police officers found four empty cans of beer in the taxi, indicating the driver might have been drinking while at the wheel.
The two cyclists were a former sales manager for a computer company, surnamed Liao (廖), and a university student surnamed Chen (陳).
Family and friends of the victims said they took a train to Hualien City and planned to ride their bicycles to Suao (蘇澳) on the highway.
In other news, in the early hours of yesterday, an elderly woman crossing a street in New Taipei City’s Tucheng District (土城) was allegedly hit by a 32-year-old man, surnamed Hsieh (謝), who was riding a motorcycle.
The woman later died of her injuries, with tests showing Hsieh had blood alcohol level of 0.62mg/L.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
RSS