Speed, Mechanical Failure Suspects in Schoolgirl Bus Death

Excessive speed and a mechanical fault are chief suspects in an investigation into the death of a junior high school student who fell out of a bus in New Taipei City’s Ruifang District.

Around 5:00pm, Thursday evening, a 15 year-old girl lost her balance and fell onto the rear door of the bus. The door opened, and she was crushed by the rear wheels of the vehicle.

Initial media reports, based on the testimony of the bus driver, and comments made by a friend of the deceased, suggested that the girl was fooling around with her friend and was pushed.

The following day, March 24, a suspected mechanical fault in the door of the bus was the focus of the investigation.

Saturday, March 25, Apple Daily reported that police investigators had accessed the vehicle’s data recorder which showed the bus had been driven at a speed of 72 kilometers per hour just seconds before it stopped.

The 150 degree bend the bus was negotiating is speed-limited to 50 kilometers per hour. Police pointed out that the speed limit is clearly indicated by signs, and the Chinese character for ‘slow down’ is painted on the road surface.

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