Mother, daughter were walking on zebra crossing with green light when SUV turning left struck them
By Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2023/05/08 16:32
First responders rescue Li from under SUV. (Tainan City Police Department photo)
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A three-year-old girl died on Monday (May 8) after she and her mother were struck by an SUV driven by a pregnant woman as they walked across a pedestrian crossing in Tainan City.
At 9:53 a.m., a 38-year-old woman surnamed Li (李) and her 3-year-old daughter were crossing the street on a green light at the intersection of Zhongyi Road and Chenggong Road in Tainan City's North District, reported Liberty Times. However, a 36-year-old woman surnamed Tu (杜) who was driving her SUV along Zhongyi Road, turned left onto Chenggong Road, striking the girl and pinning Li under the vehicle.
After receiving a report about the accident, the 5th Precinct of the Tainan City Police Department dispatched 10 first responders to the scene. Officers blocked off the section where the accident occurred and started directing traffic.
Firefighters had to use jacks to raise the car off Li. Her daughter was seen bleeding heavily from a severe head wound and lost vital signs.
Li suffered multiple bruises and broken ribs and was sent to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Tainan Hospital. As Tu is pregnant, she was also rushed to a nearby hospital, but no serious injuries were reported.
Li's daughter was rushed to National Cheng Kung University Hospital for emergency treatment. However, physicians were unable to resuscitate her daughter, who was declared dead at 11 a.m.
Police said that Tu's car was traveling from south to north and suspect that the accident could have been caused by the A-Pillar blind spot. Officers are reviewing surveillance videos and questioning Tu to determine the exact cause of the accident.
Tu is currently being investigated for negligent homicide (過失致死罪) and is being detained for questioning.
The 5th Precinct appealed to all drivers passing through intersections to obey the signs, pay attention to the situation on both the left and right sides of intersections, implement the principles of "slow, look, and stop" at intersections, and make yielding to pedestrians a habit to ensure the safety of all passers-by.
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4885408