Driver in Hong Kong bus crash that killed six sentenced to four years in prison
- The violent 2019 crash on Fanling Highway ripped away portions of the double-decker’s roof; 38 people suffered injuries, including skull and spinal fractures
- District Court judge says good character mattered little in issuing deterrent sentence, noting 57-year-old Man Chi-kwong had continued driving despite knowing he was sleep-deprived
A Hong Kong bus driver was jailed for four years on Wednesday over the deaths of six passengers and injuries to 38 others when he momentarily fell asleep behind the wheel of a double-decker in 2019.
KMB driver Man Chi-kwong, 57, was carrying 72 passengers on his last trip of the day when the crash occurred near Tsung Pak Long as the vehicle was headed towards Sheung Shui on Fanling Highway.
Without warning, the double-decker veered left, first grazing against the anti-crash barrier, then slamming into the trees beyond it at about 4.13pm on December 18, the District Court was told.
The collision tore off parts of the upper deck’s roof, flinging out two passengers, who subsequently died. The front and side of the vehicle nearest to the barrier were also seriously damaged.
Four other passengers were certified dead, while 38 suffered injuries – eight of them very serious, including skull and spinal fractures.
Man initially told a paramedic he had “suddenly lost sight and crashed into a tree”, then explained to a police constable he was trying to grab a water bottle, before finally admitting to another that he had momentarily dozed off behind the wheel.