Five pedestrians narrowly escaped death yesterday when a truck ran onto the pavement of a busy Sham Shui Po street, hitting a fire hydrant, traffic lights, lamp post and railings.
A 59-year-old woman was seriously injured when thrown from the passenger seat of the truck, and the driver was trapped by the legs and had to be rescued by firemen.
The five pedestrians and the truck's occupants were admitted to hospitals. The woman was in critical condition last night after surgery in Princess Margaret Hospital, Kwai Chung. The driver was in serious condition in Caritas Medical Centre, Sham Shui Po, where a pedestrian was in stable condition. The other injured were treated and discharged.
The 60-year-old driver, who passed a breath test, blamed the accident on faulty brakes, but driving specialists suggested the rainy weather, a poor driving attitude and the age of the vehicle could have been contributing factors. The Transport Department said the site was not an accident black spot.
Police said the unladen truck was travelling in rain southbound along Tai Po Road before the driver lost control of it approaching the junction with Shek Kip Mei Street at about 1pm. The truck first hit a road sign outside a convenience store, then crossed the street and mounted the pavement on the other side.
An attendant in the convenience store, Jane Ma, called police at 1.09pm after she heard two loud bangs and saw the truck run into the Chinese herbal tea shop opposite her store. 'The truck was moving very fast, like racing speed,' she said.
It first hit a railing and a road sign in front of her shop, throwing fragments of glass from the truck's shattered wing mirror into the shop, she said. It then careered across the road and mounted the pavement, knocking down a traffic light, fire hydrant and railings on the way.
