Bus driver jailed four years for deadly crash

A KMB bus driver has been sentenced to four years in jail and will have his driving license suspended for five years over a crash in Fan Ling that killed six passengers and wounded 39 others one-and-a-half years ago.

During yesterday's sentencing Man Chi-kwong, 57, was slammed by District Court judge Isaac Tam Sze-kok for the incident.

Man pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing grievous bodily harm by dangerous driving after crashing the bus on Fanling Highway on December 18, 2019.

He was driving route 978 when he took his hand off the wheel, causing the vehicle to hit a tree that tore off parts of its roof and side. Six passengers died, including a man and a woman who were thrown off the vehicle.

In sentencing, judge Tam said Man nodded off several times during the journey, appeared to yawn and held the wheel with one hand.

Man started working at 5am on that day and the accident happened at 4pm.

Before the accident, Man looked tired and seemed to have dozed off. He did not wake up immediately after the crash and failed to remedy the situation.

Tam said Man endangered passengers' lives and safety, causing them grievous harm, adding that family members of the wounded also suffered.

The case was a serious one and Man's sentence should have a deterrent effect, Tam said. The starting sentence for the two charges is set at imprisonment of five years and 4.5 years respectively.

Considering Man took responsibility for the incident and pleaded guilty, the sentence was reduced and part of the jail term can be served concurrently, leading to a prison sentence of four years.

Man will have his license suspended for five years, after which he will have to take a three-month course to improve his driving skills. He can continue driving after the course.

A motorist who was behind the bus testified that it was traveling at 70 kilometers and hour and suddenly took a left turn without turning on its warning lights or engaging the brakes.

After the accident, Man told ambulancemen that he wanted to pick up a water bottle at the time and that he dozed off during the trip. However, he did not confirm those claims in court.

The defense said Man was awake before the crash and that he failed to respond in time because he "froze."

In mitigation, the defense said Man had been a bus driver for 18 years and felt remorseful. Although he could not turn back the clock by pleading guilty, he would like to apologize to the injured and deceased passengers.

Speaking outside court, police chief inspector Tsui Ka-wing said the jail term reflected the severity of the case.

She called on motorists - especially professional drivers - to pay attention to road conditions as they bear responsibility for the safety of their passengers and other road users.

Tsui appealed to motorists not to drive when they feel unwell or tired and instead seek help from colleagues or others.