Accident scene photographed by Yang Kun
On a highway, a large truck collided violently with a pedestrian overpass, causing it to collapse. However, the driver was lucky enough to escape unscathed. At around 4:30 AM the previous morning, this incident occurred at the 226km + 836m mark on the Yuzhun Expressway from Yibin to Zizhu direction. The accident caused traffic congestion for four hours on this section of the road. The offending driver claimed that he swerved to avoid a stray dog that suddenly darted out from the median strip. An officer from the Neiyi Expressway Traffic Police Detachment One stated that the cause of the accident is still under investigation.
Highway Accident: Truck Collides with Pedestrian Overpass
At around 4:35 AM the previous morning, Officer Zhang Jian of the Neiyi Expressway Traffic Police Detachment One received an emergency call reporting that a pedestrian overpass had been hit and collapsed on the Neiyi Expressway. While reporting to the monitoring center and superior leadership, Zhang Jian immediately rushed to the scene.
"Upon arrival at the scene, the offending driver had already crawled out of the cab, covered in blood, and was subsequently taken away by a 120 emergency ambulance," Zhang Jian explained. After confirming the situation, the traffic police immediately coordinated with the highway toll company to divert vehicles in both directions, preventing secondary accidents. "Starting from around 5:00 AM, traffic control was implemented on the Neiyi Expressway. Vehicles traveling from Yibin to Zizhu were diverted off the highway at the Banqiao station, while vehicles traveling from Neijiang to Yibin were diverted off the highway at the Zizhu station. During this period, traffic control was enforced between Zizhu and Yibin, temporarily halting vehicles from entering the highway."
Two Large Accident Response Machines Deployed
Around 5:30 AM the previous morning, two large accident response machines were transported to the scene. They began crushing the bridge on the downward segment (from Zizhu to Yibin direction) and lifting the "sideways sitting" bridge on the upward segment (from Yibin to Zizhu direction). "The operation on the downward segment went smoothly; after crushing, the debris just needed to be shoveled aside to restore passage. However, the operation on the upward segment was very difficult as one crane couldn't lift the massive structure," Zhang Jian explained. Subsequently, a 25-ton large crane was added.
Injured Driver Crawls Out of Vehicle to Avoid Danger
The offending vehicle, a blue truck with the license plate number Yu BC67××, collided with the supporting pillar of the pedestrian overpass on the highway. The overpass was snapped in half, with half of the bridge "sitting sideways" on the truck's hood, blocking the highway from Yibin to Zizhu. The other half completely fell across the driving lane from Zizhu to Yibin. At the time of the accident, due to the crushed front of the vehicle, the seat had moved forward, and the deformed cab trapped Wang Hong's left foot. His upper and lower lips were also cut open. "When I touched my face, it was warm, so I knew it was bleeding. The blood soaked through my clothes, and I thought my leg was broken," Wang Hong recalled. Due to the darkness, he was worried about being rear-ended by another car, so he endured the severe pain, pulled his leg out, and struggled out of the vehicle using the light from his phone, waiting for rescue near the median strip. He then called his wife who lived far away in Fuling, Chongqing. A subsequent truck driver helped him call 120 and 122 for emergency assistance.
Due to injuries to his mouth in the accident, Wang Hong could not speak much after the accident and could only respond briefly. Yesterday afternoon, accompanied by his wife Xu Chengyong, Wang Hong underwent further examination at the Fourth People's Hospital of Zizhu. Diagnosed with a fractured left leg and cuts from glass shards, his lips were also injured by shattered glass. After a day of treatment, Wang Hong can now speak a little, but his thigh remains immobile.
Traffic Congestion Lasted Four Hours
After urgent operations, at around 8:10 AM the previous morning, one lane was reopened. However, the bridge above the road had not completely collapsed, with one end pressing on the offending truck's hood and the other end slanting into the highway embankment.
At around 8:40 AM, two large cranes with capacities of 50 tons and 25 tons arrived at the scene. Through a "carrying" method, they lifted the half of the bridge from Yibin to Zizhu to the outside of the highway railing, clearing the largest "obstacle." Meanwhile, the broken pieces of the bridge on the road from Zizhu to Yibin were cleared by the emergency response team, restoring smooth passage.
At 9:10 AM, the Zizhu expressway toll station began allowing vehicles traveling from Zizhu to Yibin to pass. Immediately afterward, the accident vehicle was towed to the Zizhu station for parking and inspection. The construction team gradually began clearing the remnants of the bridge that had been moved to the roadside. Around 9:30 AM, the traffic control at the Zizhu toll station and the Banqiao toll station entrance was lifted, and normal traffic resumed.
By around 3 PM yesterday afternoon, when Chengdu Business Daily reporters revisited the accident site, they found that the collapsed pedestrian overpass beams and pillars had been cleaned up. The middle barrier on the road from Yibin to Zizhu had been damaged, and a fence had been installed at the original bridgehead. Traffic order was well-maintained.
Driver Interview
Saving the Dog Caused Regret
Chengdu Business Daily: From which side did the dog dart out?
Wang Hong: I don’t remember clearly, but it was very close. It suddenly darted out, probably from the median strip.
Chengdu Business Daily: How long did the entire process last?
Wang Hong: Two or three seconds.
Chengdu Business Daily: As an experienced driver, you should know that sudden steering is prohibited on highways.
Wang Hong: It was an instinctive reaction. I wanted to avoid it and didn’t want to hit it. Besides, I didn’t think I made a sharp turn; I just adjusted the steering wheel slightly.
Chengdu Business Daily: Do you regret it?
Wang Hong: Yes, I regret it. But I have never killed any animals. I believe that all drivers do not wish to hit them; it’s also a life.
Chengdu Business Daily: What are you most worried about now?
Wang Hong: Compensation for damages. If it's too much, I definitely can't afford it. If I really have no money, I will have to go to jail.
Driver's Account
Stray Dog Dashes Out from Median Strip, Causes Accident While Trying to Save Life
The offending driver, Wang Hong, aged 38, has been driving for more than ten years but officially holds a driving license for only three years. Not long after obtaining his license, he raised funds to purchase a large truck and frequently traveled between Yibin and Chongqing.
"A few minutes before the accident, I received a call, and I was driving very clearly. Because there were few cars, I was driving in the overtaking lane," Wang Hong recounted the incident while lying in bed. "I have never killed any living things, and drivers especially avoid these kinds of situations. When encountering animals, we always try to avoid them instinctively."
"As I was driving, suddenly a dog darted out—a yellow stray dog, and I saw it very clearly," Wang Hong firmly believed he saw the dog clearly. "The distance between the dog and the car was at most 20 meters, leaving no time to brake. Instinctively, I veered to the left." Wang Hong said that previously, when encountering dogs or cats on the highway, he would honk the horn to avoid them. "Only after hitting the overpass did I realize how serious the problem was, and I feel some regret. But I have never killed anything, and I can only blame my bad luck." Afterward, Wang Hong recalled that when he noticed that half of the overpass was pressing on the passenger seat, he felt somewhat relieved. However, when mentioning the issues of collapsing the overpass and the complete scrapping of the vehicle, Wang Hong became visibly anxious.
"She loves dogs and cats the most. She doesn't eat meat herself and often feeds it to the dogs first," according to Wang Hong's wife, Xu Chengyong. Every time Wang Hong returned home, he would play with the dog and took many photos of it. If the dog ever got beaten after running out, Wang Hong would feel deeply saddened.
Wang Hong's wife, Xu Chengyong, introduced that Wang Hong never kills anything. All the chicken and duck slaughtering during festivals at home was done by Xu Chengyong. "All animals have lives, and we try our best not to kill or hit them," said Wang Hong, who was barely able to speak while lying in bed. Wang Hong introduced that the accident vehicle was purchased by his family and was driven solely by himself. The total insurance value of the vehicle was around 500,000 yuan when purchased. "Currently, the accident vehicle is basically written off, and there are still a lot of costs to compensate for the collapsed overpass and accident cleanup. I really don't know what to do."
Police Reminder
Avoid Sudden Steering and Emergency Braking While Driving at High Speeds
Regarding Wang Hong's statement that the accident happened because he tried to avoid a small dog, the Neiyi Expressway Traffic Police Detachment One is still investigating, and there is currently no definitive conclusion.
Li Gang, the director of the office of the Neiyi Expressway Traffic Police Detachment One, introduced that after such traffic accidents occur, the causes and relevant conclusions need to be determined based on a comprehensive evaluation of the scene inspection, questioning, and the damage caused by the accident. Currently, it cannot be confirmed whether the accident was caused by avoiding obstacles.
Officer Zhang Jian introduced that during high-speed driving, due to insufficient driving experience, drivers often choose to slam on the brakes or make sharp turns when encountering faults. These are major taboos in high-speed driving and are important reasons for highway accidents.
According to the regulations in the motor vehicle driver training textbook compiled by the Ministry of Transport (2005 edition), when driving on a highway and suddenly noticing someone or an animal crossing, decisive measures should be taken to minimize losses. Emergency avoidance measures should not exceed necessary limits and should not cause undue losses.
Reported by Zhou Maomei from Chengdu Business Daily
Zizhu News Hotline: 18990013053
Welcome to comment! I want to comment!
Weibo Recommendations | Today's Weibo Hot Topics
Related Theme Articles:
Unity Lake Delivery - An 83-year-old American woman undergoes breast augmentation surgery and becomes a popular topic person.
Jinsong Delivery - College students open five campus telecommunications business halls.
Guomao Delivery - A couple spends 650 yuan buying a pet pig, which grows to 120 pounds in a year and a half (with pictures).