Taiwan truck hits tour bus, injuring 16; passengers describe 'like a volcano erupting.' Source: Taiwan TVBS.
China News Service, Dec 15 — According to Taiwan’s United Daily News, 42 hikers from Kaohsiung City had dinner at a restaurant beside Highway 164 in Minguang Township, Chiayi County on the evening of Dec 14. When they were boarding a tour bus to head to the highway, their vehicle was involved in a collision with an oncoming large truck at an intersection. The hikers described the impact as sounding like “a volcano erupting.” A total of 16 people were injured and sent to hospital, with three hospitalized. One person is in serious condition, suffering from skull fracture and intracranial bleeding, and underwent surgery at Chiayi Christian Hospital on the evening of Dec 14.
Police investigations revealed that the 42 hikers from Shoushan District in Kaohsiung City had taken a tour bus operated by Great Transport Company from Kaohsiung to Hesheng Forest Farm in Nantou County for a mountain hike on Dec 14. On their way back to Kaohsiung in the evening, they exited from the Minguang Interchange on Freeway No. 1, traveled along Highway 164, and dined at a restaurant about 300 meters from the interchange.
At around 7:40 p.m. on Dec 14, after dinner, the tour bus driver, surnamed Ding, attempted to make a U-turn from the outer lane to enter the Minguang Interchange. He stated that while his bus was halfway through turning, the left rear was suddenly struck by a large truck coming from the inner lane. Due to the dark conditions, he could not clearly see how the other truck appeared.
The Chiayi County Fire Bureau in Taiwan dispatched around 10 ambulances for the rescue. Sixteen hikers seated at the rear of the tour bus sustained injuries including lacerations, contusions, and chest impacts. The truck driver, surnamed Xu, and a Thai laborer were also injured and were sent to Chiayi Christian Hospital and Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, respectively. The hiking group, originating from Shoushan District in Kaohsiung, included 58-year-old Chen Wenming, who suffered the most severe injuries — a skull fracture and intracranial bleeding — and underwent surgery at Chiayi Christian Hospital. A total of three people were hospitalized, while the others returned to Kaohsiung on the evening of Dec 14.
After the large truck collided with the tour bus, it veered onto the sidewalk and its front end became lodged in an open area. Driver Xu told police that the tour bus had been in the outer lane, and due to the dim lighting, he saw the bus suddenly making a turn and couldn’t brake in time. Police stated that both drivers tested negative for alcohol, and the tour bus was a new vehicle manufactured last year.