Organizers of illegal scooter race charged after crash leaves 2 dead, 3 injured
Two men have been charged, and another 16 are being interrogated, after a police investigation into a scooter crash that left two people dead and three injured in Pingtung County, Sunday.
Police in Ligang Township received reports of a traffic accident on a rural road in Gaoshu Township at around 4:00 pm, June 4. Four scooters were involved in the accident. A 43-year-old man, named Dong, and a 19-year-old man, named Liao, died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash, while another three people were injured.
Witnesses who reported the crash and remained at the scene told police that they had originally planned to ride mountain roads as a group to Wutai Township, but because it started raining had changed their minds and decided to test the performance of their motorcycles on the straight road beside the river levee bank when the accident occurred.
However, in the course of the investigation, pictures were found shared on social media showing that between 60 and 100 people had gathered to watch riders drag racing on modified motor scooters before the fatal crash occurred. After the crash, the race organizers urged everybody to leave quickly.
Police investigators have called 16 people in for questioning, and two men have been charged with the crime of public danger over the incident.
It is suspected that organizers used social media to invite people to an illegal road racing event. At least 6 modified motor scooters were transported to the illegal racing event by truck. The fatal accident happened during the final race of the afternoon when the racers collided with a motorcycle and rider returning from the previous race.
Pingtung County police said that they will increase patrols and inspections of road sections where illegal racers may gather.
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