Three Singaporean tourists were injured in Taiwan on Nov 7 after the taxi carrying them was struck head-on by a car that crossed double yellow lines into opposing traffic.
The collision occurred at approximately 2pm along a bend near the 7km mark of County Road 193 in Hualien on Taiwan’s east coast, roughly 160km south of Taipei, according to Taiwanese news outlet ETtoday. The three Singaporeans were passengers on the cruise ship Celebrity Millennium, which docked at Hualien Port at 7am that same day.
They were riding in a taxi when an oncoming vehicle veered across the centre of the road.
The oncoming car was driven by an air force serviceman with the surname Zhuang, who was travelling with his wife and child to Yilan in the north-east of Taiwan, about 50km south of Taipei, ETtoday reported. The impact was strong enough to overturn Zhuang’s car and inflict heavy damage on both vehicles.
After the windshield shattered upon impact, Zhuang’s wife—who was carrying their sleeping child in the front passenger seat—was thrown out of the vehicle. Seven people in total were injured in the crash, including the family of three, the three Singaporeans, and the taxi driver. All seven individuals were transported to the hospital with abrasions and contusions, and their injuries were confirmed not to be life-threatening.
Did You Know? The three Singaporean passengers involved in the Hualien collision were on the cruise ship Celebrity Millennium, which docked at Hualien Port at 7am on Nov 7.
Preliminary police investigations in Taiwan confirmed that neither driver was under the influence of alcohol. According to ETtoday, substances were also ruled out as a saliva test given to Zhuang yielded a negative result for narcotics, eliminating the possibility of both driving under the influence and substance use.
Local police are continuing to investigate the exact cause of the accident. Another Taiwanese news outlet, Liberty Times, reported that authorities suspect Zhuang may have dozed off at the wheel due to fatigue. Meanwhile, The Straits Times has contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for more information.
The crash took place on Nov 7 at around 2pm along a bend near the 7km mark of County Road 193 in Hualien, located on the east coast of Taiwan about 160km south of Taipei.
Seven people were injured in total, including the three Singaporean tourists, the taxi driver, and an air force serviceman, his wife, and their child. They suffered abrasions and contusions, and their injuries were reported as non-life-threatening.
Preliminary police investigations confirmed that neither driver was under the influence of alcohol, and a saliva test administered to Zhuang returned negative for narcotics. According to Liberty Times, authorities suspect that the driver of the oncoming car may have dozed off at the wheel due to fatigue.
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