A 23-year-old sanitation worker in Taiwan was killed after a drunk driver slammed into the back of a garbage truck while it was stopped for routine waste collection.
The fatal accident occurred at around 8am on Tuesday (16 Dec) along Qingping Road in Tainan.
According to initial investigations cited by Taiwanese news outlet Formosa Television (FTV), the driver of a Mercedes-Benz, identified as 48-year-old Zheng (name transliterated from Chinese), was travelling at high speed when he failed to apply the brakes and violently rear-ended a privately operated garbage truck.
At the time of the crash, the truck had stopped to collect rubbish.
Source: United Daily News
The impact severely injured Ms Chen (name transliterated), who was standing at the rear of the truck performing her duties.
She was crushed between the car and the garbage truck and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The tragic incident was witnessed by her co-worker, who reportedly broke down in uncontrollable sobs.
According to United Daily News, the victim’s mother rushed to the scene upon hearing the news and collapsed in tears upon seeing the victim.
Zheng was trapped inside his vehicle following the collision and had to be rescued by emergency personnel using specialised equipment.
He was later conveyed to National Cheng Kung University Hospital, where doctors found he had sustained a fractured leg.
Source: United Daily News
While undergoing treatment, police conducted a breathalyser test on Zheng.
The result showed a reading of 0.95, which is nearly three times Taiwan’s legal alcohol limit.
He is now under investigation for causing death while driving under the influence, according to Taiwan’s ETtoday.
Source: United Daily News
The investigation is ongoing to determine the full cause of the accident, including whether speeding, distracted driving, or other factors were involved.
Zheng may face charges for endangering public safety and negligent homicide.
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Featured image adapted from United Daily News.