I am currently undergoing driving lessons, and the instructors often remind us of the importance of safety.
Yes, I have not gotten my license yet. Thank you, friends, for the free rides.
They often show us scary videos of road accidents, and why it is important to be vigilant while driving.
Unfortunately, one bus driver in Hong Kong failed to do so, creating a fatal accident for some.
Hitting A Tree
Six people have perished and thirty-nine people have been injured in the deadly accident.
Three men and two women had died on the spot, while a third woman succumbed to her injuries in hospital.
All of the people dead had been sitting on the upper deck, while two persons were flung out of the bus when it had hit a roadside barrier before crashing into the tree.
Beyond just deaths the injuries were severe.
There were plenty of people who had broken their arms, and someone even received a head injury.
“There were broken limbs and someone had head injuries,” a passenger said. “The staircase was smashed, and we had to come down from the rear with the help of firefighters.”
The public double-decker bus ploughed into a roadside tree, ripping away the side of the bus and nearly the entirety of the roof.
Damn.
The bus is now a mangled mess of metal and glass, left in shambles.
According to passengers who survived the incident, they said that the bus, on route 978 between Wan Chai North and Fanling, appeared to be travelling at an ordinary speed when it ran into trouble.
It was on its way to Sheung Shui when it crashed near a roundabout on Po Shek Wu Road.
North traffic police said the bus had been running on the slow lane, but veered into the roadside barrier on the left before hitting the tree.
The 56-year-old driver has been arrested for dangerous driving causing death. The driver has been with the company for 18 years, and had just returned for duty following a rest on Tuesday.
The previous time the driver had been named in an official report was a minor incident in a bus depot. There were no indications that he did this in protest to any company manpower policy.
The bus had been in service for five years and passed a test on Wednesday, the safety director of Kowloon Motor Bus Company said.
Hong Kong’s leader, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-Ngor, offered her condolences and promised government support for the victims.
After visiting some of the injured victims at one of the hospitals, Carrie Lam said five support bases have been created to help those affected. A social worker would help each family of those who were killed.
“We must have a detailed investigation to find out the cause of the crash this time, but we and the public should also review the recommendations to see if there is any room to strengthen them,” she said.
Well, driving is dangerous guys. So wear your seatbelts and for my friends who give me a lift occasionally, please drive safely.
