A traffic incident involving a bus hitting two pedestrians crossing the road in Taichung last night has left one dead and the other injured, local authorities said.
The accident occurred at 9:15pm when two women were walking across the pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Luchuan East Street and Zhongshan Road, police said.
Photo courtesy of a reader
One of the women, a 20-year-old surnamed Lin (林), was trapped under the bus.
She was rushed to the hospital after being pulled out, but efforts to save her failed, police said.
The other woman, a 21-year-old surnamed Wang (王), sustained scratches and bruises on her limbs and was conscious when she was sent to the hospital.
A breathalyzer test on the bus driver did not show any trace of alcohol, police said.
The driver, surnamed Shih (施), said he did not see the women because it was dark and they were wearing dark clothing.
He added that he noticed a dark shadow as the bus crashed into them.
The driver was released on bail of NT$200,000 this afternoon after being interrogated by prosecutors on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter.
Tunghai University, where both women were enrolled as undergraduates, issued a statement today expressing its condolences.
The school pledged to provide the victims' families with all necessary support, including investigation and insurance matters.
It also condemned the bus driver and operator, Geya Bus Transport Co Ltd, for causing the loss of a promising young life.
A manager at the company identified by his surname, Hsu (徐), said both the company and the driver would take responsibility for the accident.
Shih's license may be revoked, Hsu added.
He said that Shih had been employed at the company for seven years and has no record of poor driving.
The company has conveyed condolences to the victims' families in person and would cooperate with all investigations, he said, adding that the company would also focus on training drivers to stop and wait before turning.
The Taichung Transportation Bureau said it had ordered the company to provide footage from the dashboard camera in the bus.
If the bus driver is found to be the main cause of the accident, the company would face a heavy penalty, the bureau said.
The city has also promised to assist the families with compensation matters.
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