A police officer was killed yesterday morning on the Formosa Freeway (Freeway No. 3) while responding to a caravan with flat tires after the officer’s car was hit from behind by a flatbed truck.
The accident happened at about 11am in the southbound lane in Hsinchu County’s Hsiangshan Township (香山), police said.
Two officers, surnamed Chen (陳) and Yang (楊), from the Sixth Brigade of the National Highway Police Bureau were to guard the caravan parked on the shoulder while it was waiting to be towed.
A flatbed truck driving on the shoulder hit the police car from behind, causing the car to veer off the road into the guardrail. The truck did not stop until the caravan rear-ended the tow truck.
The collision also severely deformed the back of the police car, making it difficult to rescue Chen.
A video posted online showed Yang sitting on the roadside next to the police car, his face covered in blood, while the driver of the caravan sat on the ground in pain, waiting for rescue.
Chen, who was sitting behind the wheel, was found lying sideways in the driver’s seat with his face covered in blood and was reported to have lost vital signs by the time rescuers arrived.
Chen was pronounced dead at 1pm after the emergency rescue team failed to resuscitate him. Yang and four caravan passengers sustained minor injuries and were taken to a hospital.
The National Highway Police Bureau said Chen transferred in March after working at the Hsinchu City Police Department handling traffic accidents.
The police said they would continue investigating the flatbed truck driver, surnamed Huang (黃), as they had found amphetamine-inhaling paraphernalia inside his truck.
Huang denied possession of the items, but said that he had used the drug five days ago, police said.
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