A drunk driver rammed his truck into the barricade protecting the front of the Presidential Office yesterday morning, seriously damaging the vehicle. No one was hurt.
Police said it was a case of drunk driving, not an act of malice.
Lee Chin-tien (李金田), director of the Taipei City Police Department's Zhongzheng First Precinct, said that Su Gai (蘇改), 49, slammed his truck into the barricade protecting the front of the Presidential Office at 11:15 am.
PHOTO: WANG MIN-WEI, TAIPEI TIMES
The impact shattered the windshield and side windows of the commercial truck bearing the name "Chong Ching Fresh Food" (
The bumper and two front wheels of the truck were severely damaged and the gas tanks were punctured.
safety
A fire truck was called in but no fire broke out. To ensure safety, the bullet-proof glass shielding the front gate of the building was replaced.
Lee said Su's blood alcohol level was 0.67mg, higher than the legal limit of 0.25mg. That of the person sitting in the passenger seat, Yeh Ching-mu (葉清木), was even higher -- at 0.99mg.
Lee said the two men did not say much when they were arrested by military police guarding the Presidential Office.
Police were still investigating whether the incident was politically motivated.
The truck was towed away around noon.
questioning
Hsueh Wen-jung (
Once the questioning is complete, Hsueh said they will send them to the District Prosecutors Office where they might be charged with violating the penal code for endangering public safety and damaging public property.
RECORD
Lee said Su had a previous drunk driving record.
Hsueh said Yeh was supposed to be delivering fresh goods when the accident happened. Yeh, however was so drunk that he had to let Su drive.
Presidential Office Spokesman David Lee (李南陽) said President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was informed of the matter just minutes after the incident happened.
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