The scene was in disarray, with the bereaved family members of the deceased filled with sorrow. Photo by Liu Lin of the Yangcheng Evening News.
Guangzhou police announced the investigation results of the "May 19" accident: A public bus brake failure caused a ticket collector to jump off and be crushed to death on the spot. The driver at fault must bear full responsibility.
Yangcheng Evening News reporters Xu Chen and Dong Liu, along with correspondent Jiaoxuan, reported that on May 24, Guangzhou's public security traffic police department announced the results of the investigation into the "May 19" traffic accident on the side road of Xiniujiao Village in Baiyun District. The driver Shi某某 mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake, causing the vehicle to collide with people, cars, and objects, resulting in three deaths and six injuries. The traffic police department determined that the suspect Shi某某 is fully responsible for the accident.
Police: No alcohol or prohibited drugs detected
At around 11:48 AM on May 19, 2011, Shi某某 drove a car with the license plate number粤AJG9×；×； and had an accident on the side road of Xiniujiao Village in Baiyun District. After the accident, the traffic police immediately entrusted a specialized inspection agency to test the vehicle with the license plate number粤AJG9×；×；. It was confirmed that the braking system and steering system of the vehicle were qualified. Additionally, tests on Shi某某's blood sample for alcohol and prohibited drugs showed no traces of alcohol or prohibited substances.
According to evidence from the accident investigation and inspections, the suspect Shi某某 was unfamiliar with the control functions of the automatic transmission car with the license plate number粤AJG9×；×；. While driving the car northward on the incident road, improper operation led to the vehicle losing control and colliding with roadside objects. Shi某某 still failed to correctly apply the brakes (mistaking the accelerator for the brake), resulting in further collisions with people, vehicles, and objects. The suspect Shi某某 did not drive according to operational standards, and his actions were the sole cause of the accident. The traffic police department determined that the suspect Shi某某 is fully responsible for the accident.
After the accident, the traffic police urged Shi某某's family and the car owner to actively coordinate with the insurance company to prepay (or cover) some of the medical and funeral expenses for the injured and deceased. They also made every effort to assist the victims' families in legally handling related aftermath matters.
The driver and car owner are friends
Some media outlets reported that the car belonged to the Xiniujiao Community Health Service Station in the Jingxi Street of Baiyun District, Guangzhou. However, the Xiniujiao Health Service Station subsequently issued a statement clarifying that the car involved in the accident belonged to Mr. Sun, the husband of employee Ms. Kou某某 (also known as "Red Sister"), and not the health station. The head of the health station is Professor Xie Mengkun, while "Red Sister" is just an ordinary employee.
Upon investigation by the traffic police, it was found that the suspect Shi某某 and the car owner Sun某某, along with Sun某某's wife Ms. Kou某某, were friends. Prior to the incident, Sun某某 had entrusted Shi某某 to drive the car with the license plate number粤A鄄JG9×；×； to handle annual inspection matters.
"He doesn't seem like someone who would lose control and hit people"
Some citizens questioned whether, if the reason of improper operation is excluded, there could be a possibility of the driver losing emotional control momentarily. On the afternoon of May 24, reporters visited the Guangzhou Old Cadres Retirement Home in Hainan where Shi某某 resides to understand the situation. The boss of the retirement home's convenience store told reporters that Shi某某 often came to buy cigarettes, chatting and laughing, and was quite friendly and approachable. "He doesn't seem like someone who would suddenly lose control and drive to hit people."
Automotive industry experts express doubts:
Even if the wrong pedal was pressed, the driver should have reacted immediately
Yangcheng Evening News reporters Xu Chen, Dong Liu, Tan Chao, Zhang Aili, and correspondent Jiaoxuan reported: The car traveled approximately 250 meters, causing three deaths and six injuries —— this disaster shocked the entire city of Guangzhou. After being investigated by the police, it was confirmed that the driver was unfamiliar with the control functions of the automatic transmission car with the license plate number粤AJG9×；×；. He did not correctly apply the brakes, mistaking the accelerator for the brake, leading to the tragedy. After it was revealed by the media that the driver had 28 years of driving experience, this explanation raised doubts.
Regarding this car accident, customer service manager Xiang Weiqing of Guangzhou Hanfu Sales Company of Chang'an Ford has been closely following the case. He stated, "Among the customers I've dealt with, there indeed have been cases of drivers mistakenly pressing the accelerator instead of the brake. Even experienced drivers with over 20 years of driving experience cannot be said to never make such technical mistakes. The key still lies in the actual situation at the time and the physical and mental condition of the driver. However, in this case, there is one point worth noting: as a driver with over 20 years of experience, even if he mistakenly pressed the accelerator, he should have been able to react immediately and step on the brake, which would have slowed down the car speed and prevented such serious casualties. This is a hard-to-understand doubt, but we still need to consider the actual situation of the driver at the time."
Mr. Ma, an instructor at Guangzhou Guang'an Driving School, introduced that regardless of whether it's an automatic or manual transmission car, the right foot must be used to press the brake pedal. Mistakenly stepping on the accelerator instead of the brake sometimes happens, mostly among beginners, mainly due to insufficient driving experience or encountering complex road conditions, leading to nervousness and operational errors. "Based on my experience, a driver with 28 years of driving experience is unlikely to make such a mistake," Mr. Ma said.
Mr. Yang, who has driven a manual transmission car for eight years and frequently driven his friends' automatic cars, mentioned, "Once you get on the road, it doesn't take more than dozens of meters to adapt, and automatic cars are easier to operate compared to manual ones, eliminating the need to manually shift gears. You only need to focus on the accelerator and brake, and their operations are fundamentally the same as those of a manual car." Many experienced drivers interviewed by the reporter believed that it is almost unimaginable for a driver with 28 years of driving experience to fail to take emergency measures after losing control of the vehicle and travel such a long distance.
When the reporter asked the traffic police department whether the driver involved in the accident had any bad driving records, the police refused to disclose this information citing "involvement of personal privacy."
You are welcome to leave comments. I want to comment.
Weibo recommendation | Today's popular Weibo topics