Taxi driven by 85-year-old smashes into pedestrians

At least five people were injured after a taxi driver appeared to lose control of his vehicle when heading down from Fortress Hill yesterday and knocked over three women like bowling pins as they headed across a busy pedestrian crossing.

Two of the women suffered serious injuries.

The incident happened at 1pm as the 85-year-old taxi driver named Ngai - arrested later and among the injured - was heading down Fortress Hill Road to King's Road.

Dashcam footage that circulated online shows the taxi running a red light and knocking over the three women on the crossing that spans Fortress Hill Road where it arrives at King's Road.

The taxi continued going forward for about 10 meters before crashing through a traffic light post and metal guardrails near tram tracks.

Two of the three injured women - a 59-year-old local woman and a 48-year-old South Asian, Singh - fell unconscious after suffering head injuries. Both were in critical condition in hospital last night.

The third woman, a foreign national aged 48, sustained arm injuries and was also in hospital in a serious condition.

Ngai and his single passenger, a 43-year-old mainland man, Zhuang, were also hurt.

The three women and Zhuang were taken to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Chai Wan and Ngai to Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai.

Ngai was arrested for dangerous driving and causing grievous bodily harm. But he did pass a sobriety test.

At the scene of the accident police were checking damage and signs of the smash as they investigated the cause. And firefighters helped clear the scene. The sights included asphalt and tram tracks that were stained with blood.

Some of the victims' shoes also remained on the ground after they were taken to hospital. A traffic light and metal railings were heavily damaged.

The taxi, meantime, was towed way with damage to its hood, front bumper and its headlights.

A shop owner said one of the injured women was her employee. "I can't calm down," she wailed. "I told her to go buy lunch. Why couldn't I have asked her to go 10 minutes earlier or later?"

Among onlookers was one who pointed to the junction as an accident black spot. He said: "Cars often hit the pavement or go over the pedestrian crossing if the driver brakes too late when going downhill. It's happened to me before."

Roads were closed and tram services suspended near the site. The closure measures resulted in considerable traffic congestion in the vicinity.

On December 10, 2018, there was a similar accident approaching King's Road, which is deemed a dangerous area by many people in the district.

A school bus driver, Ng Yiu-chung, now 66, lost control of his 19-seater vehicle while driving downhill on Hei Wo Street, killing five people - aged 70 to 89 - and injuring two others as it careened down, smashing into shops on both sides of the street.

cjames.lee@singtaonewscorp.com