TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – An 81-year-old man surnamed Liu (劉) caused his van to flip on its side at a roundabout outside the Presidential Office in Taipei Tuesday morning (March 1).
The driver suffered a few bruises on his limbs but after being sent to nearby National Taiwan University Hospital was found to be free from serious injury, per a CNA report. He confessed that he had gotten distracted while checking the route on his smartphone, causing the vehicle to hit a traffic island, veer off balance, and turn over.
At 10:16 a.m. Taipei City Police received a request for assistance at the roundabout intersection between Zhongshan South Road and Ketagalan Avenue, and they immediately dispatched officers to the scene of the accident. The roundabout encircles Taipei’s historic East Gate, also known as “Jingfu Gate.”
During their investigation, police found Liu had been heading north along Zhongshan South Road when he came to the roundabout. However, as he moved through the roundabout and entered the express lane, the front right side of his van collided with the traffic island, which flipped him over.
Police ruled out drunk driving, concluding the senior citizen had simply not paid proper attention to traffic conditions. They stressed that drivers must pay attention to what is happening in front of them when behind the wheel.