Woman killed, 14 injured as two shuttle buses crash in Tung Chung
A driver was arrested after a woman was killed and 14 people were injured in a crash that police say may have happened as the drivers of two shuttle buses serving the same luxury estate vied for the most favourable route at an intersection.
One of the buses, serving Caribbean Coast on Lantau, fell on its side after being hit from behind by the other in Tung Chung at about 2pm yesterday.
'The two coaches collided while making a right turn at the corner. One of the vehicles was pushed by the other from behind and toppled onto one side,' acting chief inspector Denis Li Man-kit of New Territories South traffic unit said.
The accident happened outside the estate as the two buses were making a return trip from the Tung Chung MTR station.
The leading coach flipped over on the pavement at the junction of Man Tung Road and Ying Hei Road and damaged a stretch of railings, while the other mounted the pavement before coming to a stop.
A 36-year-old woman, who lived at Caribbean Coast, was trapped in the flipped bus and had to be freed by firemen. She was taken unconscious to Princess Margaret Hospital, where she was declared dead.
The 51-year-old driver of the other bus was arrested for dangerous driving causing death.
Six fire engines and 12 ambulances attended the scene, where fuel was spilled on the road.
The injured included the drivers and a six-year-old girl. They were bandaged and taken to Princess Margaret and Yan Chai hospitals.
Li said the site of the accident was not a traffic black spot. 'We are investigating the speed of the two vehicles at the time the crash happened.'
The three-year-old coaches are owned by a company that has provided a shuttle service between Caribbean and Tung Chung MTR station since October.
