Fatal Changhua Crash: Unlicensed Driver Indicted in Tragic Sibling Deaths

Negligent Homicide Charges Filed Following Changhua County Collision That Claimed Two Young Lives

Taipei, Taiwan – In a heart-wrenching case that has gripped the nation, an unlicensed driver has been indicted on charges of negligent homicide in connection with a traffic accident in Changhua County that resulted in the deaths of two young siblings. The charges were filed Tuesday, over a year after the devastating incident.

According to the Changhua District Prosecutors Office, the 74-year-old driver, surnamed Hsiao (蕭), struck the three siblings at 6:21 p.m. on February 23rd of last year while they were crossing an intersection in Shengang Township, Changhua County.

Video evidence revealed that the siblings, surnamed Chen (陳), had begun crossing the road while the pedestrian signal was red, but were within the crosswalk when the accident occurred.

The crash left the two sisters, aged 10 and 8, in comas. Their 7-year-old brother survived the collision without severe injuries.

Tragically, the 10-year-old sister succumbed to her injuries in hospital on September 5th, and the 8-year-old passed away on October 29th.

The indictment from the prosecutors emphasized the legal obligation of all drivers to be attentive to the road conditions and to prioritize the safety of pedestrians, irrespective of the traffic signals.

Furthermore, a second review by the Traffic Accident Investigation Review Committee determined that Hsiao's failure to exercise adequate care at a traffic-controlled intersection with a marked crosswalk constituted a "secondary cause" of the accident, the prosecutors stated.

The indictment asserts that Hsiao's lack of a valid driver's license and failure to yield to the pedestrians at the crosswalk provided sufficient grounds to warrant the negligent homicide charges relating to the two young girls' deaths.