TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An man in his 70s who struck three elementary school children at a zebra crossing never had a driver's license and was reportedly fined for causing an accident last year.
Two sisters and their brother, surnamed Chen (陳), were walking home from school in Changhua County's Shengang Township on Thursday (Feb. 22), reported ETtoday. As they walked on a zebra crossing, they were struck by an SUV driven by a 74-year-old man surnamed Hsiao (蕭), causing serious, life-threatening injuries for the two sisters.
A police investigation found that, although Hsiao had the green light when the accident occurred, he was driving without a license. It was reported that Hsiao never obtained a driver's license and has repeatedly driven without one.
Hsiao was also involved in an accident last year, though did not cause any injuries at that time. The police issued Hsiao fines for driving without a license and being at fault for the accident, but he continued to drive without a license.
Children walking home from school. (Changhua County Police Department photo)
The three siblings, who are aged 8, 9, and 10, come from a poor background and are classified by the county government as belonging to a middle to low-income household. They receive monthly assistance for the children's living expenses.
Due to their parents' divorce, the three siblings are typically taken care of by relatives such as grandparents, uncles, and aunts.
Normally, the uncle is responsible for picking up the children from school every day, but due to the uncle undergoing eye surgery, on Thursday evening, the fourth-grade elder sister took charge, leading her younger siblings hand in hand on the way home. While crossing a road intersection approximately 500 meters from home, they were struck by the speeding SUV.
Moment SUV struck the children on the zebra crossing. (Changhua County Police Department image)
The two sisters suffered severe injuries in the collision. Although their pulses were restored after being rushed to the hospital, the elder sister has significant bleeding in the brain and is not eligible for surgery.
Maintaining life support is currently the only option, and she remains in critical condition with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 3, and her prognosis is not optimistic. The younger sister has bilateral pneumothorax and is still undergoing treatment with a ventilator in the pediatric intensive care unit.
SUV driven by Hsiao. (Changhua County Police Department photo)
The younger brother only sustained a minor injury to his left leg and was discharged after receiving treatment on Thursday night.
Further scrutiny of Hsiao's record revealed minor traffic violations such as riding a motorcycle without a helmet. The police have filed charges against Hsiao for driving without a license, and a more detailed investigation into his responsibility for the accident is pending.
