Speeding car nearly runs over elementary student on north Taiwan crosswalk

北台灣行人穿越道上超速車差點碾過小學生

Driver ignores red light, crossing guard, faces fines of NT$6,300


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A sedan nearly crushed an elementary school student on Monday (April 10), with the driver incurring NT$6,300 (US$206) in fines, dashcam video showed.

The incident occurred outside Chien Kung Elementary School as kids were crossing the street with the aid of a crossing guard. The driver of a sedan made minor contact with a 5th-grade boy after speeding and slamming on the brakes.

The boy was sent to a nearby hospital, where he was found with only minor leg bruises. A man believed to be the boy's father berated the driver, reported ETtoday.

Police stated the driver failed to yield to pedestrians and ran a red light, breaching Articles 44 and 53 of the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例), which will result in fines of NT$3,600 and NT$2,700 respectively, a total of NT$6,300, per TVBS.

A Taiwanese Facebook page called Taiwan a "living hell for pedestrians," drawing attention from international media such as CNN, which in December 2022 claimed Taiwan suffers from "battlefield-like" traffic conditions. This incident is the latest episode in Taiwan's "pedestrian hell."