Mustang Maniac’s week-long rampage ends with young woman fighting for her life

A man who first came to police attention one week ago, after posting death threats on social media, and driving dangerously in Tainan City, has been arrested for driving his yellow Ford Mustang through a red light in Miaoli City, leaving a 21-year-old woman critically injured.

The 23-year-old resident of Taoyuan City, named Ye, posted death threats against Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, last Saturday, August 7, apparently because he was upset about “unfair vaccine distribution.”

The following day, Sunday, August 8, Ye was seen driving his bright yellow Ford Mustang coupe through a red light at the intersection of Minsheng Road and Ximen Road in Tainan City, at around 8:40 am. Ye then drove at high speed on the wrong side of the road against oncoming traffic for a distance of around 300 meters.

After witnesses reported the incident, police notified Ye to report to the police station where he was charged with endangering the public, and issued penalties for traffic infringements.

Ye told police that he had been practicing his driving skills at the time.

In the week following the incident in Tainan City, media reports speculated daily on the mystery “Mustang Man.”

A Facebook user even uploaded videos of the yellow Mustang being driven erratically on National Freeway 1 Toufen section, Friday, August 13.

In the early morning, yesterday, Saturday, August 14, Ye drove his yellow Mustang from Nangang District, New Taipei City to Zhunan Township in Miaoli County. Ye drove at high speed through an intersection against a red light, hitting a scooter ridden by a woman named Wu, who was on her way to work at a convenience store.

Ms Wu was thrown into the air, flipping several times before falling heavily to the ground. Wu was severely injured and bleeding from her ears and nose when paramedics arrived.

Ye showed no remorse after the incident, and was seen by witnesses taking selfies with the mangled wreck of his car while Wu laid injured, and possibly dying on the ground.

According to a CTS report, Ye sent a post to his Instagram account, bragging that he had traveled at speeds of more than 200 kilometers per hour, making the trip in just 36 minutes before the crash, and saying that he would sell the smashed Mustang at a high price to be exhibited.

After his arrest, Ye was photographed giving the finger to reporters from the open window of a police patrol car.

Ye’s uncle explained to media reporters that Ye suffers from serious delusions for which his family has previously attempted to seek treatment. Ye was first sent to hospital for compulsory treatment after attempting to go abroad without a passport. However, Ye was discharged from the hospital on the grounds that he was not ill, and he refused to take medication, the uncle explained.

After the incident in Tainan City last week, family members had asked police to send Ye to hospital for compulsory medical treatment.

Countering media speculation that Ye was just another example of “Fuerdai” – rich second generation – behaving badly, Ye’s uncle denied that Ye was rich, pointing out that the car had been purchased second hand by Ye’s mother, and that Ye paid part of his salary to his mother every month.

Ye had worked at his uncle’s tile factory until around a month ago when he began arguing with staff and left, the uncle said. “And he is not a sports car logo designer either,” said the uncle, referring to stories from media reporters who fell for Ye’s social media persona.

At the time of writing Ms Wu remains in a coma in the intensive care unit, having suffered intracranial hemorrhage, a comminuted fracture of her right thigh, and other injuries.

A family member described Ms Wu as a filial child who had gone to work after graduating high school so she could save money before going to university. “She didn’t want to be a burden on her family,” Wu’s aunt said.

Mr Ye has been charged for crimes of negligent injury and endangering the public. The District Prosecutor’s Office has applied to the court to keep Ye in detention, and notified the Department of Health to have Ye’s state of mental health assessed.

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