On June 24 this year, six elderly people in their 60s from Anhui set off from Hefei, cycling together on a 10,000-kilometer journey that ultimately took them to Arctic Village in Mohe, Heilongjiang. This remarkable feat was reported by many domestic media outlets.
However, on June 29, while cycling through an intersection in Daxing District, the oldest member of the group, Mr. Liu, accidentally knocked down a pedestrian, Ms. Ge. Fortunately, Ms. Ge’s injuries were not serious, but she still incurred some medical expenses. After the incident, Ms. Ge demanded compensation from Mr. Liu, who refused, leading her to take the case to court. Yesterday morning, the case was heard in the Daxing Court.
Yesterday morning around 10 a.m., the trial officially began. The plaintiff, Ms. Ge, appeared in court in person, while the defendant, Mr. Liu—who is not a Beijing resident—was represented by his daughter, Ms. Liu, who works in the city. Ms. Ge stated that she had not seen Mr. Liu since the incident, and despite mediation by the traffic police, he did not show up. As a result, Ms. Ge sued, demanding compensation of 2,135.52 yuan for medical expenses, 1,037 yuan for transportation costs, and 4,459.47 yuan for lost wages, totaling 7,631.99 yuan.
The defendant’s representative, Ms. Liu, said during the trial that according to her father, at the time, the group of six was cycling from Hefei to Heilongjiang and should have been driving normally when passing through the incident site. The plaintiff, Ms. Ge, was reportedly talking to a driver near the roadside and stepping backward when the collision occurred. After Ms. Ge fell, her leg ended up under a car, and the father got out and pulled her leg out from under the vehicle. Ms. Liu said that after the incident, her father stayed at the scene to cooperate with the traffic police investigation and, upon learning that the plaintiff’s injuries were not severe, the group left Beijing and left the matter in her hands.
Since both the plaintiff and the defendant agreed to mediation, the court did not issue a ruling in court. The case is still under further review.
■ Background
Six Elderly Cyclists’ Arduous 10,000-Kilometer Journey
On June 24, six elderly individuals set off from Hefei, Anhui, on a “Great Northern China Cycling Tour.” About a month later, traveling through Anhui, Henan, Shandong, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, and Inner Mongolia, they successfully cycled all the way to Arctic Village in Mohe County, Heilongjiang—the northernmost point of China’s territory. They returned to Hefei on August 25, covering a total distance of 10,600 kilometers.
According to the elderly cyclists, the journey was not without challenges. Torrential rains, scorching sun, steep slopes, and rough roads were common, but they endured it all and pressed on resiliently. When passing through the Greater Khingan Mountains, the oldest member of the group, Mr. Liu, suffered from severe diarrhea, but after treatment and rest, he resumed the journey. Due to extreme physical and mental exhaustion, one of the team members, Mr. Zhang, experienced significant graying of his hair and beard.
The elderly riders faced many hardships, but they also enjoyed the joy of cycling.