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A 67-year-old taxi driver has been sentenced to 15 months in prison and banned from driving for two years following a high-speed crash in Sau Mau Ping in 2024 that left two passengers with serious injuries.
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Ng Tat-chun, the defendant, pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm when he appeared at the District Court on Thursday.
The accident occurred at around 11pm on August 24, 2024. Ng was driving a taxi carrying a male and a female passenger from Tsim Sha Tsui East to Tseung Kwan O.
While traveling along Shun Lee Tsuen Road, a two-lane road with a 50 km/h speed limit, Ng was driving at 60 km/h and straddling both lanes when he rear-ended a parked shuttle bus in the left lane.
The male passenger sustained a traumatic brain injury, multiple facial fractures, and broken bones to his ribs, spine, and right shoulder blade. The injuries led to surgery and a 40-day hospital stay.
The female passenger suffered a fractured sacrum and multiple abrasions.
Ng told police he failed to notice the parked vehicle until his passengers screamed.
In mitigation, the defense argued that Ng, a taxi driver since 1987, was not distracted by electronic devices, music, or conversation before the crash.
However, District Judge Ernest Lin Kam-hung rejected the claim that the accident was the result of a momentary lapse of concentration or judgment. Lin noted that, referring to dashcam footage, Ng had been speeding and should have been well aware that the left lane was frequently used for temporary parking.
While Lin said it was fortunate that neither victim suffered permanent damage, he emphasized that they still require regular hospital follow-ups. Ruling Ng’s driving fell far below the standard of a competent driver, Lin handed down the jail term and driving ban, and ordered Ng to complete a driving improvement course at his own expense.
