Radio talk show host Huang Wei-han’s (黃暐瀚) mother was killed in an alleged driving under the influence (DUI) incident, with a 30-year-old man in custody, Taichung police said yesterday after witnesses told officers that the suspect had driven to a store immediately after the crash, where he purchased and drank beer.
Police said that the man, surnamed Fang (方), had submitted to a breath-alcohol test, which showed a reading of 0.4 milligrams per liter (mg/L), exceeding the 0.15mg/L maximum.
The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), was hit while crossing a street at an intersection in Taichung City at about 3am yesterday morning, police said.
Photo: CNA
A black Mercedes sedan hit her and she was dragged for about 70m, a police report said.
Chen, who was in her 70s, was rushed to a hospital, but died shortly afterward from trauma, internal injuries and loss of blood, the report said.
Witnesses told police that the vehicle drove on after the crash to a convenience store, where police detained the driver, who was drinking beer, the report said.
Fang, a hairdresser, told officers that he had not been drinking prior to the crash, it said.
Witnesses said that Fang bought the beer to drink in a bid to evade a drunk driving charge by claiming that the alcohol test result was due to his drinking after the incident.
One witness said that Fang bought four cans of beer and had finished three by the time police arrived.
A plastic bottle containing an unknown liquid was found in a search of the vehicle, police said.
A preliminary test indicated that the bottle might have contained illegal drugs, they said.
Fang denied having taken drugs, investigators said.
A urine sample was sent to a laboratory to be tested, which would take about three weeks, they said.
Police said that preliminary investigations indicated that Fang had been with friends at a KTV parlor until about 2am.
Huang traveled to Taichung from Taipei after being informed of his mother’s death.
He asked authorities to conduct a thorough investigation.
Five years ago, Huang wrote an article condemning drunk driving after a case involving a woman who struck a police officer while driving under the influence.
The police officer lost a leg as a result of the incident.
Huang in the article wrote that drunk drivers are “killer bombs who roam the streets.”
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