Author: Phillip Charlier

Elderly Man Survives After Jumping into Path of Train

injured elderly man being treated by paramedics
Breaking News 
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[Picture: Taiwan Railway Administration] A man in his 70s rushed forward and jumped off the platform as a train came into Shanjia Station, at around 8:05 am this morning. After being hit by the train, the man ended up between the platform and the wheels, suffering scratches and bruises, but conscious and not seriously injured. The man, dressed in pajamas and a light jacket, was rescued by firefighters and rushed to Far East Memorial Hospital in Banciao District. Shanjia Station

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Wounded Otter Rescued After Wandering into Kinmen Elementary School

otter in elementary school on Kinmen
Animals Environment 
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[Picture: Baicun Elementary School] A wounded otter was flown to Taipei Zoo for emergency surgery after wandering into an elementary school in Kinmen County yesterday, Friday, December 29. Veterinarians suspect the Eurasian otter was attacked by stray dogs. According to the principal of Baicun Elementary School, at around 10:00 am, teacher Chen Qianhui went to the natural science classroom to fetch some teaching materials for a class, when suddenly she saw an 80 centimeter long, rat-like animal running around in

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Roads and Public Transport Congested on First Day of Long Weekend

traffic jam
Travel and Tourism 
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Some sections of the National Freeway saw speeds reduced to stop and go, while a rockfall on the Suhua Highway saw traffic back up more than 10 kilometers as motorists hit the road for the New Year long weekend. Taiwan High Speed Rail and Taiwan Railways were also strained as passengers crammed onto trains. On National Freeway 1, traffic traveled at 20-40 kph earlier in the morning, but by noon between Tucheng and Longtan, speeds had reduced to a snail-pace

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3 Injured After Elderly Driver Passes Out at the Wheel

car crash in kaohsiung city
Traffic Accidents 
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A 71 year-old man passed out while driving his car in Kaohsiung City this afternoon, sending his vehicle careering towards oncoming traffic, before finally crashing into a stationary car and scooters parked on the sidewalk. Dashcam footage from the driver’s car showed the car drifting left over the center dividing lines and into the path of scooters traveling in the opposite direction, before going through a red light, then crashing into a car parked outside a bank on the corner.

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Eleven Vehicle Pile-up on Freeway One

freeway pile-up
Traffic Accidents 
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Two trucks and nine cars were involved in a pile-up on Freeway 1 at the 36 kilometer mark on the Taishan section at around noon today. Five people were sent to hospital. All five were said to have been conscious and suffering minor injuries. Traffic was limited to passing through the site on the shoulder of the road, causing traffic to back up over 5 kilometers until the scene of the accident was cleared at around 1:30pm. According to preliminary

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English Teachers Busted for Growing and Selling Pot

cannabis sativa
Drugs 
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A Nepalese man was arrested yesterday after police raided properties in Taoyuan City and New Taipei City yesterday. A total of 220 cannabis plants, along with one kilogram of dried and prepared product, were found in the raids. Police first raided a residence in Pingzhen District, Taoyuan City belonging to a 39 year-old Taiwanese man named Wei. Wei was found to be in possession of 191 marijuana plants and 1 kilogram of dried cannabis. Wei led them to a 42

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Rare Sharks found in Taitung

Marine and Fisheries 
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A marine survey by the Council of Agriculture Fisheries Research Institute off the coast of Taitung County turned up some rare specimens of viper shark (Trigonognathus kabeyai), first recorded off the coast of Japan in 1986. Five specimens were netted at a depth of 350 meters, and one of the fish survived. The marine biologists attempted to keep the shark alive using cold seawater at 10°C, but the animal only survived for one day. So far, the species has only

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Drivers Fined After Fast and Furious Round-Island Dash in under 9 Hours

street racers in Taiwan
Sport 
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Eleven drivers have been fined, and three indicted on charges of public endangerment, after a group of street racers made an attempt to circle the island in just 8 hours. On the evening of March 4, 2017, the race organizers put out a call on Facebook for drivers to meet for an 8 hour round-island challenge. Around 20 drivers assembled at a starting point at a freeway rest stop near Taipei City, and proceeded north at speeds that exceeded 240

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Expat Resident’s Legs Crushed After Being Hit by Car

injured expat English teacher
Traffic Accidents 
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An expat English teacher suffered severe injuries to both legs today after being crushed against a concrete column by a car in Keelung City this afternoon, December 24. The 24 year-old man, who’s nationality remains unspecified in Chinese language media, was leaning against the wall outside a convenience store when a car driven by a man name Zhou suddenly lunged out of a car park and slammed into him at around 2:00pm. Video footage shown on TV news showed bystanders

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Elderly Woman Goes Undercover to Catch Pickpocket

red envelopes used as bait for theft
Crime and Criminals 
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An 80 year-old woman cooperated with police to catch a pickpocket operating in a traditional market in Zhudong Township after her purse was stolen by the habitual thief. After reporting the theft of her purse to Hsinchu County police, the elderly woman, who was not named in this Liberty Times report, was asked to stuff a couple of red envelopes with waste paper, and have the envelopes visible next time she went to market. The police would follow and observe

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Driver Too Drunk for Breath Test

Traffic Accidents 
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A woman who crashed her car in Kaohsiung City this morning was so drunk that she giggled when the police arrived, and couldn’t manage to blow into an alcohol breath-testing device. Police had to take her to a hospital for an alcohol blood test. Ms Lee, 41, failed to negotiate a bend on a freeway interchange, and her car ended up mounting a traffic divider before coming to a stop against a pole at around 4:45am. After stopping, Lee remained

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