[Sportschosun Reporter Jang Jong-ho] A family in Taiwan suffered a tragedy when their car was involved in a wrong-way crash while they were traveling after their father's funeral, leaving four people dead and two injured.
According to ETtoday and other Taiwanese media, a major traffic accident occurred around noon on the 10th on a road in Xinwu, when a passenger car and a dump truck collided head-on.
The car was being driven by a 60-year-old woman identified as Ms. Lee, and four relatives were riding with her.
Investigators said the vehicle crossed the center line and drove into oncoming traffic for reasons that have not yet been determined, then crashed head-on into a dump truck traveling normally in the opposite lane.
Ms. Lee died at the scene. Three passengers — a 74-year-old woman, a 65-year-old man, and a 64-year-old woman — were taken to hospital in cardiac arrest, but were later pronounced dead. Another passenger, a 61-year-old woman identified as Ms. Yang, and the dump truck driver sustained minor injuries.
The accident has drawn even more sorrow because it happened on the day of Ms. Lee's father's funeral.
According to the bereaved family, relatives had gathered from different places to attend the funeral and were planning to have a meal together at a restaurant after the rites.
However, the family members who were supposed to arrive at the meeting place never showed up, and the waiting relatives eventually received the devastating news that four people had died and one had been injured.
In an interview with local media, Ms. Yang, the survivor, said, "The driver was my cousin," and added, "Everyone in the car was talking at the time, and no one was sleepy or exhausted." Police are investigating the exact cause of the crash, including possible vehicle defects, the driver's health condition, and road conditions.
Jang Jong-ho, bellho@sportschosun.com
