Three injured when driverless Hong Kong police van rolls backwards down Cotton Tree Drive after officers exit
- The empty van smashed into three vehicles as it rolled about 100 metres after officers exited the vehicle to deal with a traffic accident
- While three victims were taken to Queen Mary Hospital afterwards, their injuries were said to be minor
An empty Hong Kong police van slammed into three other vehicles and sent three people to hospital on Tuesday afternoon as it rolled backwards for about 100 metres after being parked on an uphill section of Central’s Cotton Tree Drive.
The crash in the Mid-Levels area occurred shortly before 2.30pm when three officers exited the vehicle to handle a traffic accident involving two cars near the junction with Kennedy Road.
“Just after officers slammed the door, the patrol car began moving and rolling backwards. Officers tried to jump into the vehicle in vain,” a police source said.
A police spokesman said the van rolled backwards for about 100 metres, hitting a taxi, a public minibus and a private minibus before finally coming to a stop near the Hong Kong Squash Centre.
He said the two minibus drivers and one female passenger on the private minibus were slightly injured. The trio, aged 38 to 63, were taken to Queen Mary Hospital for treatment.