Distraught man drives car into ocean in Yilan, Taiwan

台灣宜蘭一名焦慮男子駕車衝入海港內

Authorities responded to a report early Sunday morning, but were unable to save the driver


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – In the early morning sometime after 3:00 a.m at the port of Suao (蘇澳) in Yilan County, a car plunged into the ocean. A rescue party was dispatched at 3:25 a.m. as soon as the incident was reported.

With the help of a local diving association, the car was located at approximately 5:00 a.m., and was successfully lifted from the water onto the quay by 6:43 a.m.

Unfortunately, the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, a 47 year old man, surnamed Chen (陳), was unresponsive and pronounced dead.

The driver’s family members were reportedly on site to confirm the identity of the deceased, reports Apple Daily.

While police are still investigating the details of the accident, there is evidence the man intentionally drove the vehicle into the harbor.

According to reports, the man had been under stress, suffering from depression because of a bone cancer diagnosis. The cancer led to the amputation of one of his feet, forcing the man to walk with crutches.

After some sort of altercation in the family home, the man stormed out of the house in the early morning. Distraught family members alerted police of the situation.

When police received notice that a car had driven into the port, they alerted the family who then rushed to the scene to await the tragic news that Chen had drowned.

(Photo from Yilan County Fire Bureau)