TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Students from Kang Chiao International School in Xindian, New Taipei completed a bicycle trip after a serious accident in Changhua injured eight students. 

The 10th-year students were nearing the end of a 12-day trek around Taiwan when a car driving in the opposite direction swerved into their convoy, reported CNA. While most of the students were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, one 15-year-old student surnamed Yen (顏) sustained a serious brain injury and remains in a coma. 

Following the tragic accident, the students were determined to complete their journey to demonstrate their resolve and solidarity for their injured classmates. The group began their trip on April 14 and traveled in a clockwise direction, per CNA. 

After the accident on April 22, the trip was paused so that students could spend a day recovering after the traumatic event. Ultimately, students and teachers decided to resume the journey and started out again from Nanliao in Hsinchu, riding along Taiwan’s west coast. 

For the remaining portion of the trip, the students also wore purple ribbons tied to their helmets in support of their classmate in the hospital. 

On Friday at noon, the cyclists returned to their school’s campus in Xindian, completing about 945 kilometers on the trip. Upon arrival, they were greeted by students and teachers, many wearing purple ribbons and armbands to show their support. 

The driver involved in the crash was a 41-year-old man surnamed Hsiao (蕭). He tested positive for multiple illegal drugs and will likely face charges of negligence causing injury and driving under the influence of drugs.