A firefighter was hit by an alleged drunk driver early on Saturday while assisting the victims of a traffic accident on a bridge in Taipei.
Lai Wen-li (賴文莉), 27, had to have her left leg amputated at the knee as a result of her injuries. Lai was one of a two-member paramedic team that responded to an accident on a bridge between Taipei and Sanchong District (三重), New Taipei City (新北市).
The driver of the car that hit her, Chen Hsi-fa (陳熙發), was later found to have a blood alcohol content of 0.65mg.
According to Taiwan Beverage Alcohol Forum, a non-profit group promoting responsible driving, the current legal limit is 0.25mg/liter, approximately 0.05 percent blood alcohol concentration.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications submitted a higher legal limit from the 0.15mg/liter in 2008 in an effort to reduce fatalities caused by drunk driving, the forum said.
Lai, an officer with the New Taipei Fire Department, was first rushed to Taipei Hospital, where doctors said her condition was too serious for them to handle. She was then transferred to National Taiwan University Hospital, where surgeons had to amputate her leg.
Chen reportedly refused a breathalyzer test at the scene, shouted at police and paramedics and demonstrated no remorse for hitting Lai.
The police took him to a hospital in Sanchong, where his blood alcohol content was measured at 0.65mg. He was then referred to the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office, where he was released on NT$50,000 bail.
According to lawyer Liao Fang-hsuan (廖芳萱), Chen could face a prison sentence of less than two years and a maximum fine of NT$150,000 if convicted of causing a public hazard and serious injuries because of negligence.
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