A driver in Keelung suspected of driving under the influence of drugs this morning rammed into 12 vehicles, killing one and injuring two.
The 55-year-old driver, a man surnamed Yang (楊), sideswiped a guardrail near the intersection of Ren 1st and Ai 9th roads before crashing into multiple parked cars, motorcycles and roadside stalls.
Police who arrived on the scene at about 11am discovered suspected "zombie vape” cartridges in Yang’s vehicle for use in e-cigarettes containing the Class II narcotic etomidate, police said, adding that Yang tested positive for the drug in a preliminary saliva test.
Photo: Wu Sheng-ju, Taipei Times
A 55-year-old woman surnamed Lin (林) sustained serious injuries and was sent to a hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries.
The driver and a 66-year-old man, also surnamed Lin (林), sustained minor injuries and are being treated in a hospital.
The case has been transferred to the Keelung District Prosecutors’ Office to be handled in accordance with the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例) and the Offenses Against Public Safety Act (公共危險罪).
A witness said he had been driving behind the vehicle along Liumingchuan Road just before the accident.
Yang was swerving between the lanes at a slow speed of just 10kph to 20kph, he said.
He honked to warn the driver, but Yang then suddenly accelerated upon reaching the intersection and rammed into vehicles parked along the road.
The witness saw a woman pinned under a signboard following the crash and reported the incident to police and firefighters.
On Tuesday last week, a 32-year-old man surnamed Chen (陳), who was also suspected of driving under the influence of etomidate, rammed into multiple cars and motorcycles at high speed on Keelung’s Nanrong Road.
The incident killed a 73-year-old man who had been taking out the trash and tried to push others out of the way before becoming trapped under the vehicle.
On Friday last week, Keelung Mayor George Hsieh (謝國樑) held a news conference to emphasize the city’s “zero tolerance” stance on drug and alcohol-impaired driving.
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