SUV hits freeway maintenance truck at full speed: driver and passenger pulled out before car bursts into flames

Three people were injured after a Mercedes Benz SUV suspected of being in driver-assist mode hit a road maintenance vehicle without braking on National Freeway 3 today, April 13.

At around 11:00 am the Mercedes Benz hit the slow-moving road cleaning team vehicle in the outer lane at the 195.5 kilometer mark in Changhua County, spinning 360 degrees before coming to a stop.

Drivers in cars behind the crashed vehicle slammed on their brakes, and dodged the Mercedes, which was emitting smoke and flame from under the hood. One driver, noticing that the driver and passenger in the Mercedes appeared stunned, and were not moving, pulled the two occupants out of the vehicle, moments before the car burst into flames.

A member of the cleaning team attempted to put out the fire using a fire extinguisher, but the fire quickly consumed the vehicle, and was not extinguished until fire fighters arrived.

According to the police preliminary investigation, the driver of the Mercedes Benz, Mr Tsai, 40, had activated the driver-assist, and the driver claims to have had both hands on the wheel at the time of the accident.

Mr Tsai’s wife, who was travelling in the front passenger seat said that she didn’t know why the accident happened because she was looking at her phone at the time.

The two occupants of the Mercedes, and the 63-year-old driver of the truck were treated at Show Chwan Memorial Hospital in Changhua City.

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