Family members of a man who died during a cycling event have accused the organizers, the Taiwan Bike Association (台灣自行車協會), of negligence and failure to take adequate safety measures, as well as not obtaining local government approval for the use of public roads.
Hung Yu-ling (洪鈺苓) said that her elder brother Hung Shao-chun (洪紹鈞) fell to his death at a cycling event on a provincial road in the Shueili (水里) area of Nantou County in September.
Hung said she had filed a lawsuit against the Taiwan Bike Association and its medical crew for their failure to administer emergency medical treatment to the victim, and to provide first aid stations and other measures to protect participants.
According to accounts by eyewitnesses and fellow participants, Hung Shao-chun was alive when medical crew arrived on the scene to take him to the hospital.
“However, the medical crew did not perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, nor did they use an automated external defibrillator or place a neck brace on him as a first measure to address his head injuries,” Hung said. “They only placed an oxygen mask on him and monitored his vital signs.”
“There where other shortcomings, which led to delays and caused them to miss the narrow window of opportunity to save my brother’s life,” she said.
Association chairman Lin Yao-chang (林耀彰) yesterday said that he did not agree with her allegations, but could understand why the family filed a lawsuit.
“We will face the judiciary and cooperate with the investigation,” he said. “If the court finds us liable in the case, then we will shoulder our legal responsibility.”
“This association has a bad reputation among sports enthusiasts because of the lack of safety measures at its events,” Hung posted online.
Hung said the association made profits from participants’ registration fees, but avoided legal responsibility for accidents.
“Our lawsuit is not about financial compensation, but about raising public awareness so that participants can have better protection,” she said.
“We feel this association should not be permitted to organize any more sporting events because its attitude is that victims are on their own when accidents happen, that it is not responsible for what takes place,” Hung added.
There have been other fatal accidents at events organized by the association, Hung said.
“A female cyclist lost control, fell while making a turn and was killed by an oncoming motorcycle,” she said. “It happened at a Kaohsiung cycling event in January. The victim’s daughter then sued the association for negligence and for failing to implement traffic control measures during the event.”
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