Car Accident Scene: Yang Guoping's Daughter Posts on Weibo for Help
At around 1:05 AM on the morning of February 2nd, a male driver under the influence of alcohol was driving a Toyota compact car when he crashed through the central isolation barrier and veered into the left lane, hitting pedestrians. This resulted in three fatalities, one of whom was the renowned playwright Yang Guoping (as shown in the upper-left image, sourced from the internet).
Following the accident, Yang Guoping’s daughter posted a plea for help on Weibo (as shown in the lower-left image, sourced from the internet), claiming that the perpetrator was a "second-generation official," whose father was an official at the Guilin local court. This claim drew significant attention from all sectors of society.
Heartbroken Family, Seeking Help via Weibo
There were a total of three victims in this accident. Playwright Yang Guoping, whose works such as "He Xiangning" have had considerable influence in contemporary times; another victim was a girl who was preparing to get married after the New Year, and the third was the father of a four-year-old child, suffering from hemorrhoids.
On the previous day, family representatives of victim Ding Zhaohui issued a statement on behalf of all the deceased's families. The statement read: "These three passersby were our relatives, they were about to become grandfathers, they were the kind fathers of four-year-old daughters, and they were women standing at the threshold of marriage. Originally, their hearts were filled with anticipation, hope, and happiness, but now they are just cold corpses in the morgue's freezer."
After the incident, Yang Guoping’s daughter posted pleas for help both on Weibo and Tianya Forum, claiming that the drunk driver Liu Chang was a "second-generation official," whose father was an official at the Xiangshan District Court in Guilin. In her post, Yang Guoping’s daughter said that after the incident occurred, the perpetrator's family hired a lawyer who told the victims' families: "Having practiced law for over twenty years, I am very experienced in handling cases like these, and we will definitely be able to settle this matter with money." Upon hearing this, the daughter of the victim felt deeply disheartened.
According to reports by the Nanguo Morning Post, the perpetrator Liu Chang is 22 years old and currently a college student at Sichuan Normal University. Yesterday, a well-informed individual in Guilin confirmed that Liu Chang's father is indeed a judge at the Xiangshan District Court, with deep roots in the local judicial circle. Some netizens suspect that "this will put immense pressure on the relevant judicial personnel handling this case, and the fairness and justice of the law will face severe tests."
The Driver Was Drunk and Exceeding Speed Limits
Yang Guoping’s daughter also mentioned that the vehicle driver Liu Chang was driving under the influence of alcohol, which was subsequently confirmed by the media and police. Around 3:45 AM on the day of the incident, reporters from the Guilin Evening News arrived at the hospital where three injured passengers were receiving treatment, with no immediate life-threatening conditions. A traffic police officer commented: "They were still dazed and confused, reeking of alcohol, and could not clearly recount the entire incident."
Based on forensic investigations, Liu Chang's blood alcohol content on the day of the accident was measured at 149.36 mg/100ml, indicating that he was driving while intoxicated. Furthermore, inspections conducted by relevant departments in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region confirmed that Liu Chang was speeding at the time of the accident.
Upon exposure of this incident, it garnered significant attention from numerous netizens. A local Guilin netizen named "Tian Shang Yun Zou Yuan Le" commented: "During Guilin's two sessions, during the Spring Festival transport rectification phase, on a bustling section of the city, and during a time when the city traffic police were strictly checking for drunk driving, a reckless drunk driving incident occurred, resulting in three deaths and two injuries. Under such circumstances, how can the people of Guilin feel safe when going out or returning home?"
Another netizen from Guilin Life Network revealed that on the afternoon of the accident, the perpetrator still posted on Weibo using his mobile phone, and a female passenger in the same car also posted a Weibo message saying, "A great misfortune survived must be followed by good luck." However, journalists found that the perpetrator's account has since changed its name and deleted all previous posts.
The Perpetrator Is Being Monitored
In the morning of the same day, the Guilin police released a situation report regarding the case. The report stated that the public security traffic management department has already filed a case and handled the accident. They have informed both the perpetrator and the deceased's families, and will handle the case according to relevant legal procedures, ensuring lawful and regulated processing. Due to the injuries sustained in the accident, Liu Chang required surgical treatment, and the traffic police department implemented 24-hour monitoring measures. On the morning of February 7th, Liu Chang underwent surgery but remains under surveillance.
Meanwhile, relevant departments in Guilin expressed sincere welcome for supervision from all sectors of society, news media, and the general public. Any act of favoritism or malpractice will be resolutely investigated and dealt with according to law and discipline, without leniency or hesitation, and the results of the investigation will be promptly disclosed to the public.
According to lawyer Yang Tianhe from Guangzhou Deli Law Firm, based on Article 115, Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Law, if someone drives under the influence of alcohol, disregarding the potential consequences, and causes major casualties, they commit the crime of endangering public safety by dangerous methods, punishable by imprisonment of more than ten years, life imprisonment, or even the death penalty. "However, in practical application of this clause, various factors need to be considered comprehensively, including 'the nature of the crime, the defendant's criminal circumstances, harmful consequences, and subjective malignancy.'"
Previously, the Supreme People's Court issued a "Notice Regarding Legal Application Issues Concerning Drunk Driving Crimes and Relevant Typical Cases", where dolphins swallowing volleyballs got stuck in their stomachs, and surgeries lasted four hours without success. The notice stipulates that for those who drive under the influence and disregard the occurrence of harmful consequences, causing major casualties, they should be sentenced according to the crime of endangering public safety by dangerous methods, referring to the attached "typical cases."
Southern Daily (Weibo) reporter, Jiang Zhe