Driver arrested over fatal Tai Wai bus crash

Police on Friday confirmed the death of a passenger and the arrest of the driver of a KMB double-decker bus that overturned late on Thursday.

Eleven people were confirmed to be injured in the accident, of whom two were said to be in serious condition.

Police say they believe the bus flipped onto its side when the driver made a sharp left turn, making contact with a road divider, after finding himself in the wrong lane at the junction of Tsing Sha Highway and Tai Po Road at about 11pm.

All lanes were closed on the Kowloon-bound slip road from Tai Po Road to Tsing Sha Highway into the early hours of Friday.

Police said a 37-year-old man was declared dead at the scene after suffering serious head injuries. The 58-year-old driver was detained on suspicion of dangerous driving causing death.

Superintender Lam Chuen said: “When the bus reached the scene of the accident, we suspect that the bus driver went the wrong way and drove onto the road divider in the middle of the road, which flipped it onto its left side.

“We have arrested the driver on suspicion of dangerous driving causing death.”

Officers say their lines of inquiry will include the driver’s mental state, the speed of the bus and traffic conditions. They’ve seized the bus’s camera system and black box for investigation.

At least 11 people were trapped initially. The front window of the bus was shattered, with glass debris scattered across the road. A taxi driver said he’d stopped at the scene and helped the bus driver smash windows to free injured passengers.

Some of the injured were taken away on stretchers while other passengers were seen receiving treatment on the roadside.

At least six ambulances were on the scene, along with firefighters.

KMB said the driver had 18 years’ experience and had been working on the same route since 2015. It said the bus involved was six years old and had passed an inspection earlier this month.
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Last updated: 2021-11-19 HKT 05:24