Motorcycle rider killed after hitting taxi driving with lights off on expressway
A motorcycle rider died at the scene after slamming into the back of a taxi at high speed on Expressway 64 in New Taipei City last night, and the taxi driver, who was driving with headlights off, is being investigated on charges of negligent death.
Police received a report of an accident at the 25.5 kilometer mark of Expressway 64 in Zhonghe District at 10:57 pm.
Dashcam footage of the accident taken from a car that was traveling at 90 kilometers per hour showed the Aprilia RS 660 whizzing past at a speed estimated to exceed 200 kilometers per hour before slamming into the back of the black taxi without signs of braking.
The motorcycle rider, a 27-year-old man named Ji, was thrown into the air by the force of impact and was without vital signs when witnesses and paramedics checked his condition. Paramedics applied CPR but Ji was declared dead after arriving at the hospital.
The 37-year-old driver of the M Taxi, named Chen, and his 46-year-old passenger, named Liu, were also taken to the hospital and treated for minor injuries.
Ji’s father spoke to the media today and said that his son often went to racetracks to practice motorcycle racing on the weekends. Ji’s father had just taken him to Shulin District to pick up the motorcycle as a rental shortly before the accident occurred.
Police said that they are still investigating the causes and liability for the accident. The taxi driver will receive a fine of between NT$3,000 and NT$6,000 for driving without headlights, and is being investigated on charges of negligent homicide.
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It looks to me like this is a typical case of a risk-taking life-endangering idiot who is now permanently “out of service” because he just had to show the world what bawlz he’s got. Looks like there has even been an attempt to somehow pin it on the hapless taxi driver….but who hit whom from the back side, where there are no headlights anyway? The biker is said to have been going over 200 kph, which I see is almost 125 miles an hour. That is INSANE. Sorry, on this one I’m fresh out of tears for stupid, inconsiderate racers terrorizing public highways.
Well, the dark color taxi was still visible (even without lights on). The video from the vehicle in the next lane clearly shows that the taxi was illuminated enough by the expressway light poles and the vehicle next to it. I’m sure many of us have encountered, on many occasions, people driving without lights at night. Although dangerous, paying attention to the road should have avoided such tragedy.
Likely riding while distracted. An unfortunate incident.