Driver arrested after 7km wrong-way trip
A driver is thought to have travelled for about seven kilometres on the wrong side of elevated highways before being stopped by tunnel staff. It was the second such incident in three days.
The man, who was stopped in the Cheung Tsing Tunnel in Tsing Yi, did not say how he initially got onto the eastbound section of the West Kowloon Highway travelling west. Police are looking into the possibility that he did so from Lin Cheung Road in Yau Ma Tei.
Police received at least three complaints from motorists who saw the Mitsubishi going the wrong way on the highway outside Olympian City in Tai Kok Tsui at about 5.15am.
The car then entered the Kowloon-bound tube of the tunnel, which was closed for maintenance.
'Shortly after entering the tunnel, it slowed down and then pulled over as staff from the tunnel signalled it to stop,' another officer said.
The man, 47, was arrested for failing to give a breath sample for a test. Police are investigating whether his driving was impaired by flu medicine that could cause drowsiness.
An officer said the driver smelled of alcohol, and flu tablets were found in his seven-seater vehicle.
'Initial investigation showed that the driver had taken the tablets and he failed to say how he entered the highways,' the officer said.
'His blood samples have been taken for examination. We will investigate whether the effect of the medicine had anything to do with his driving manner.'
The driver, who had no passengers, was unhurt. He was taken to Yan Chai Hospital for examination.
The man, who is the owner of the car and lives in Wong Tai Sin, was released on bail of HK$3,000. He will report back to police in March. Officers from the New Territories South traffic unit are investigating the case.
On Monday, the driver of a delivery van was arrested after his vehicle travelled at least 2.5 kilometres on the wrong side of the Island Eastern Corridor before colliding head-on with a taxi in Causeway Bay. He was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and refusing to provide a breath test.
