Three people remain in intensive care and one person is receiving treatment in a general ward after 11 people were injured in a multi-car crash in Taichung’s Shalu District (沙鹿) yesterday involving more than 20 vehicles.
A semi-trailer truck lost control and crashed into more than 20 vehicles at the intersection of Siangshan Road Sec 7 and Pingsi Road at 10:13am yesterday morning.
As the road’s speed limit enforcement equipment were destroyed in the crash, police said they would dispatch more officers to increase traffic surveillance to prevent more accidents at the high-risk intersection.
Photo courtesy of a member of the public via CNA
Based on a preliminary investigation by Qingshui Precinct of the Taichung Police Department, the semi-trailer truck, driven by a 25-year-old man surnamed Hsieh (謝), is believed to have experienced brake failure before crashing into 10 cars, 11 motorcycles and one bicycle, police said.
The westbound direction of Siangshan Road Sec 6 is a long, steep slope where rear-end crashes often occur, mostly as heavy or large vehicles fail to brake in time, the Taichung City Government Transportation Bureau said.
According to police, three accidents occurred on this stretch of road from this January and last month, with two injuries and no fatalities.
Last year the section saw a total of 17 accidents, with zero fatalities and four injuries, a decrease of five accidents compared to the previous year, police said.
Safety measures have been implemented, such as Jersey barriers installed to separate fast and slow lanes, while vehicles weighing over 20 tons must use the outermost lane, the Transportation Bureau said.
Police presence in the area has also been increased to enforce speed restrictions and signs installed warning drivers to test their brakes and use a low gear, it said.
Furthermore, the bureau implemented adjustments to signal timing to ensure traffic flow, ease congestion and reduce emergency braking, it added.
The bureau said it would continue to review and adjust traffic control measures in the area.
Moreover, police urged drivers of heavy-duty vehicles to regularly test and maintain their braking systems.
Police said they have installed an average speed monitoring system on a 1.7km stretch of Siangshan Road Sec 6 from Longjing District (龍井) to Shalu District, as well as a speed camera.
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