Relatives of Taiwanese DUI victims make public pleas for help

台灣酒駕受害者家屬公開懇求協助

Relative asks for donations and says walking on a pedestrian crossing should be safe


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Relatives of a family struck by a car driven by a drunk driver in southern Taiwan pleaded for financial help at a press conference on Wednesday (Jan. 5), CNA reported.

The incident on Dec. 26 was the third time the man had been caught driving drunk. He plowed his car into a family of four crossing a street in Kaohsiung.

The mother of the family, surnamed Fan (范), died of her injuries. Meanwhile, the father surnamed Lin (林), and his two daughters were badly injured.

Lin’s brother-in-law, surnamed Zhuang (莊), told the media that Fan’s funeral would be held on Friday. News of the mother's death had been withheld from her surviving husband and daughters, the report said. Only the 16-year-old daughter’s condition has stabilized so far, Zhuang added.

A happy family has been devastated and it is a long road ahead for the remaining family members to rehabilitate, CNA quoted Zhuang as saying. The perpetrator has not consoled the family or shown any sympathy.

If he does not take responsibility, the financial burden will eventually fall on the victims, according to Zhuang. He pleaded for the public to lend the family a helping hand by donating to the account set up by the Kaohsiung Social Affairs Bureau, per CNA.

Zhuang also criticized the government for not doing enough to deal with the drunk driving issue. If a family walking on a crosswalk can be hurt, “How can we teach our children to protect themselves and live safely?” he said.

Lin’s mother, who is in her 70s, sobbed during the press conference. Thanking the public for its help, she said she was worried about the family’s financial situation.

Kaohsiung Social Affairs Bureau made details of the account for donating public on Tuesday. As of 9 a.m. on Wednesday, there had been 88 donations for a total of NT$300,000 (US$10,800), per CNA.