Deadly car crash in Hong Kong’s trendy SoHo area sparks renewed calls to ban traffic at weekends
- Residents still coming to terms with Friday night’s accident in SoHo, an area popular for its bars and restaurants
- SoHo regular says crash, which left eight injured including a woman who later died in hospital, will not stop him from visiting area, but he will be more cautious
A deadly accident involving a driverless car hurtling downhill into eight pedestrians in one of Hong Kong’s trendiest nightlife spots on a busy Friday night has sparked renewed discussions on whether traffic should be banned in the area at weekends.
Residents continued to leave flowers at the scene of the accident in the SoHo neighbourhood on Sunday, a day after a 27-year-old critically injured woman succumbed in hospital.
The outlook for another critically hurt woman had improved and she was listed as in serious condition as of Sunday morning. One man was in stable condition in hospital. The others were discharged over the previous two days.
The vehicle, a white SUV, had been parked at the top of Peel Street around 8pm. It rolled down the street, crossed Staunton Street and slammed into a lamp post, injuring eight people, aged 24 to 53, along the way.
A 44-year-old woman was later arrested and charged with dangerous driving causing death. She is due to appear at Eastern Court on Monday.
A SoHo regular in his 40s named Andrew said that while the accident would not stop him from visiting the area for drinks and dinner, he would be more cautious and aware of his surroundings.
He said he could not imagine how the families and friends of the victims could face such a tragedy.