Driver arrested for drink driving after tour bus crash in Tsing Yi
The driver of a tourist bus was arrested on suspicion of drink driving after his vehicle slammed into railings in Tsing Yi on Wednesday morning, injuring 12 people.
A local tour guide and 11 mainland visitors were injured, and were treated for minor injuries at Princess Margaret Hospital. Their ages ranged from eight to 57.
The crash happened at about 5.45am, after the tourists were picked up at a Tsing Yi hotel. The sightseers, from Shenzhen, were on the way to Tsim Sha Tsui to take a ferry to Macau.
The bus went out of control at the junction of Tsing Hung and Tsing Yi roads, slamming into railings, police said.
The driver was arrested after he failed a breathalyser test conducted at the scene, police said. His breath-alcohol level was over 60mg, well above the legal limit of 22mg, one officer said.
A mainland visitor who escaped injury told local media at the scene that the driver appeared to be in a dazed state when the accident happened.
“Suddenly, there was a loud bang. Windows were shattered and glass fragments fell onto my head,” he said.
Railings, a traffic light and a traffic sign were damaged, and debris was scattered on the carriageway. The front of the vehicle was seriously damaged.
Two women were reported in stable condition at the hospital, at 1pm, and the others were discharged after treatment. The driver and 15 other mainland travellers were uninjured, police said.
The driver has been released on bail and must report to police next month. The New Territories South traffic unit is investigating the case.
