4th November 2023 – (Hong Kong) At around 2am today, the taxi carrying passengers was traveling towards Yuen Long after exiting the tunnel when it suddenly collided with a roadside barrier on Cheung Tsing Highway, causing the front of the vehicle to emit smoke. The 70-year-old taxi driver lost consciousness and was rescued from the vehicle. Initially, he was found to be unresponsive with no signs of breathing or pulse. Emergency medical services promptly arrived and transported him to Yan Chai Hospital for treatment. Fortunately, the two male passengers in the taxi escaped unhurt. The police are currently investigating the incident, estimating that approximately 20 meters of the barrier were damaged at the scene.
According to sources, the two passengers were tourists from Singapore and India who had recently arrived in Hong Kong for a vacation. They boarded the taxi in Tsim Sha Tsui East and intended to travel to a hotel in Tin Shui Wai. One of the passengers from Singapore, Mr. Wu, mentioned that they did not notice anything unusual about the taxi driver when they got in. However, while driving through the tunnel, the taxi started swaying and felt unstable, giving them a sense of floating. Upon reaching the accident site, the taxi first collided with the left barrier and then the right one. Despite their attempts to rescue the driver, their efforts were in vain. The taxi gradually slowed down and eventually came to a stop. Mr. Wu and his companion worked together to lift the unconscious driver out of the vehicle and immediately performed CPR. They even made a distress call to the emergency hotline 911, but due to uncertainty about their exact location, it took some time for rescue personnel to arrive.
Mr. Ho, a private bodyguard who happened to be passing by and witnessed the incident, shared in an interview that he saw the taxi parked at the side of the road. He noticed the two passengers helping the driver out of the vehicle and administering CPR. Curious about the situation, Mr. Ho alighted from his own vehicle and approached them. The passengers explained in English and Mandarin that the driver had suddenly collapsed, but they were unaware of the local emergency hotline. Acting quickly, Mr. Ho dialed 999 on their behalf and took over performing CPR. After approximately 30 to 40 compressions, rescue personnel arrived at the scene. Mr. Ho briefed them on the situation, and they took over the rescue efforts.
Mr. Ho mentioned that his decision to learn first aid skills was driven by both professional requirements and a sense of preparedness for emergency situations. He obtained his first aid license from St. John Ambulance more than a year ago, never expecting that he would need to apply his knowledge in a real-life situation until now.
The police reported that at 2.18am, today, the taxi was travelling towards Yuen Long after exiting Cheung Tsing Tunnel when the 72-year-old driver, Mr. Fung, is suspected to have lost consciousness. As a result, the taxi veered out of control and collided with the roadside barrier. Upon receiving the emergency call, paramedics arrived at the scene. Despite not having any visible injuries, Mr. Fung remained unconscious and was subsequently transported to Yan Chai Hospital for further treatment. The case has been classified as a “traffic accident causing injury to a person and damage to government property.”
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