At the scene of the incident, the sedan was split in half diagonally by the guardrail, with car parts scattered all over the ground.
Time: Around 4 PM on February 5th
Location: Huian section of Fujian Nan-Hui Expressway
Casualties: Five out of six people from three generations of a family perished
Cause: Possibly due to a sudden tire blowout causing collision with the guardrail
A traffic accident instantly claimed five lives from three generations of Wang Yuanfa's family, who was 65 years old. At around 4 PM on February 5th, a horrifying scene unfolded on the Huian section of Fujian Nan-Hui Expressway - a sedan carrying six members of a family across three generations suddenly crashed into the guardrail in the middle of the road divider. Five people died on the spot, including two siblings aged 13 and 6.
The only survivor, Wang Yuanfa, stated that the cause of the accident might have been a sudden tire blowout. Currently, the exact cause of the accident is under investigation by the Quanzhou Highway Traffic Police.
[Scene] The car was "split" in half by the guardrail
At 6 PM on the 5th, when the reporter arrived at the scene, they saw that in the direction from Nanan to Huian, there were four lanes in both directions. The road section was flat, with a one-meter-wide green belt in the middle, which was enclosed by crash barriers and guardrails. At the impact site, three crash barriers had collapsed, and the sheet-like guardrails had a torn opening, with bloodstains on them. Car parts were scattered all over the ground, leaving three spots of blood that hadn't been fully cleaned up. A car started from the hood, was split in half diagonally by the guardrail, with the car body and license plates scattered more than ten meters away. It was understood that most of the deceased were decapitated, and there were also two children in the car.
According to the on-site police officers, at 4:08 PM, they received a report from a passing driver stating that a car had collided unilaterally with the guardrail, possibly resulting in casualties. Officers from the Third Brigade of the Quanzhou Highway Traffic Police and the 120 Emergency Medical Center rushed to the scene for rescue operations, discovering five fatalities and one injury. Upon receiving the report, the Quanzhou Highway Traffic Police immediately activated the emergency response plan and organized personnel to rush to the scene for rescue.
[Injured Party] Near home, a sudden tire blowout occurred
At Huian County Hospital, the reporter met the injured party, who was also the sole survivor, Wang Yuanfa. CT scans showed that Wang Yuanfa had no internal injuries or brain hemorrhage and was currently not in danger of life, but his cervical vertebrae were injured. Whether this would lead to paralysis, the doctor said it was uncertain.
Wang Yuanfa stated that their family of six set out from their hometown at around 9 AM on the 5th, going to the Guandi Temple in the city for incense offerings and prayers for blessings - wishing for the health of the elderly, the prosperity of his son's career, the intelligence and academic success of his grandchildren. The whole family was laughing and chatting happily. After handling the enrollment procedures for his 13-year-old granddaughter in Huian County town, the family took the highway back to their hometown, almost reaching home. "Suddenly, the car's tire blew out, lost control and hit the guardrail. I went black before my eyes, and when I woke up, I discovered..."
[Background] After finishing the incense offering, they planned to go to Guangdong in a few days
Wang Yuanfa's house, a four-story brick-and-stone structure, is located on the village road leading to Doutail Harbor in Dunan Village, Jingfeng Town, Huian County. Under the dim streetlights, the exterior walls of his house were neatly covered with brand new tiles. Neighbors said that Wang Yuanfa drove a tractor, while his eldest son Wang Guoxi, who did construction business in Guangdong, had earned a lot of money in recent years, building houses and acquiring property. In 2009, he spent 200,000 yuan to buy a car. The accident involved this very car.
Wang Guoxi was 38 years old, his wife Huang Suya was 37, their 13-year-old daughter Wang Wenhui studied in Huian County town, their 6-year-old son Wang Bolin attended kindergarten locally, and his mother Chen Yahua was 60 years old. Wang Guoxi, who had been doing business in Guangdong for over a decade, always returned home during the Spring Festival. Originally, he planned to take the family to finish the incense offering and then return to Guangdong in a few days.
Wang Guoxi's cousin Wang Guozhong said that on the morning of the 5th, Wang Guoxi drove, taking his parents, wife, and children, a total of six people, to the Guandi Temple in the city for incense offerings. In the afternoon, relatives suddenly received a call from the police informing them that the family had been in a car accident. Apart from the elder father Wang Yuanfa, the remaining five people died on the spot.
Tragedy
A joyful four-generation household lost five members
"Yesterday at this time, the entire family was having dinner together, then drinking tea, watching TV, and chatting." Standing in Wang Yuanfa's living room, Wang Guozhong pointed at two small bicycles and said, these belonged to Wang Wenhui and Wang Bolin. Every time they came back from school, Wang Wenhui would take her brother out to play, chasing each other, filling the yard with their laughter.
The happiness of the family and the laughter of the children were interrupted by this unexpected car accident. Wang Yuanfa's 87-year-old mother, Ms. Chen, sat on a chair, crying so hard that her whole body trembled, unable to drink water. A bowl of porridge beside her had already gone cold. Ms. Chen said she had five sons, Wang Yuanfa being her second son. She watched all her children grow up. How could such a happy four-generation household lose five members so suddenly? "An old person sending off a younger one, my heart is truly filled with pain and sorrow. Unthinkable! Even worse, my grandson Ah Xi (Wang Guoxi) and his family of four are all gone, how could this happen, how could it?"
According to Hai Xiang Daily
Weibo Interaction
Our Weibo on Sina and Tencent initiated a "micro-survey"
"Which car is the sturdiest, with better crashworthiness?"
Nowadays, more and more families are buying cars. Safe driving and careful driving are crucial for our own safety as well as the safety of our friends and relatives. However, the protective performance, design, and sturdiness of cars are equally important.
On February 6th, Sanxiang Daily's Weibo accounts on Sina and Tencent initiated a "micro-survey": Which car do you think is safer to drive, which car is more reliable and has better crashworthiness? Please log in to Sina and Tencent Weibo @Sanxiang Daily, let's exchange ideas. This is both a reminder and a reference, perhaps it can reduce the number of car accidents!
Service Reminder
What to do if a tire bursts on the highway? Don't slam the brakes
If you encounter a burst tire, don't panic and remember not to slam the brakes. Sudden braking will disrupt the balance of the wheels, making the car likely to spin or lose control. You should firmly grip the steering wheel and try your best to control the vehicle, gently pressing the brake pedal to avoid excessive force on the front part of the car. If the rear tire bursts, the rear of the car will have irregular violent shaking. The driver needs to remain calm, not slam the brakes, firmly grip the steering wheel, and keep the car traveling straight. Additionally, it's best to use intermittent braking to shift the car's center of gravity forward, allowing the intact front tires to bear the load and reducing the burden on the burst rear tire.
If the tire completely bursts, you should stop as soon as possible to prevent the rim from being overly stressed and damaged. Replacing the tire on-site or seeking help nearby is the best solution. When a tire is pierced by a nail or sharp object and slowly deflates, if it can persist for a certain distance, you can go to a nearby auto repair shop to replace the tire; if the deflation speed is fast, it's best to find a safe place to park, change the spare tire yourself, or wait for assistance.
How to maintain tires? Check tread patterns and measure tire pressure
To prevent sudden tire bursts and accidents, regular maintenance and inspection of tires are very important.
Firstly, check the wear condition of the tire treads. Tires without treads will see a decline in grip and drainage capabilities and should be replaced with new ones.
Secondly, check for any damage on the tires. Is the tread punctured or scratched by sharp objects? Carefully inspect for nails, metal shavings, glass fragments embedded in the tread.
Remember to perform four-wheel alignment and rotate the tires regularly. During driving, if you notice heavy steering, shaking, drifting, etc., it's time to do a four-wheel alignment. Since the working conditions and loads on each tire differ, the load on drive wheels is greater than non-drive wheels. Additionally, due to right-side driving, the right wheels bear more load than the left wheels. Therefore, after the car travels a certain distance, differences in fatigue and wear will appear in different positions of the tires. Hence, timely tire rotation according to car maintenance regulations is necessary.
Scientific measurement of tire pressure is very important. The correct way to measure tire pressure is using a tire pressure gauge, at least once a month. Tire pressure isn't necessarily better when fully inflated. Over-inflation leads to faster tread wear, reduced grip, and may cause tread separation as well as cracking at the bottom of the tread grooves. Conversely, insufficient tire pressure can cause overheating of the tire, squeezing and cracking of the shoulder and sidewall, and even affect handling. ■ Compiled by our newspaper