Chinese man who smashed up clamped car owed US$5,700 in unpaid fines
Motorist took hammer to his vehicle as it was about to be towed away so ‘no one else could have it’
A prolific traffic offender who attacked his own car with a hammer after police in central China clamped it for a parking offence was given 10 days’ detention, according to a local news report.
A relative alerted the 54-year-old unnamed man on Wednesday that police had disabled the vehicle in Dazhi, Hubei province, and were preparing to tow it away, Chutian Metropolis Daily reported at the weekend.
After failing to persuade the police officers to release the vehicle, the man began emptying it of his possessions. But as he was doing so he found a hammer in the boot and his initial compliance turned to anger, and he began swinging. After dealing several blows to the bodywork and smashing windows, he fled the scene, the report said.
Later, when police checked their database, they found that the owner of the car had more than 240 outstanding tickets for traffic violations – including parking illegally and jumping red lights – stretching back six years. He had racked up 766 demerit points on his driving licence and owed 36,000 yuan (US$5,700) in unpaid fines.