Elderly Hong Kong driving instructor gets 16 months’ jail for dangerous driving incident that left pedestrian dead
- Judge slams 83-year-old Wong Kai-man for causing avoidable tragedy by selfishly trying to save his van without regard for the safety of others
- The long-time driving teacher’s van struck two pedestrians as it careered downhill, finally coming to a stop after crashing into a concrete staircase
An 83-year-old Hong Kong driving instructor who lost control of his car and killed a pedestrian moments after finishing a lesson has been jailed for 16 months and banned from getting behind the wheel for the next five years.
District Judge Sham Siu-man on Thursday slammed Wong Kai-man as an “extremely selfish” driver who caused an avoidable tragedy when he tried to save his van without regard for the safety of other road users.
The District Court heard Wong had been completing a lesson on Cha Kwo Ling Road in Yau Tong at about noon on January 2 last year when he instructed his student to shift into neutral – without turning off the engine – before getting out of the van.
The student complied and got out of the vehicle, which was parked facing downhill, at which point Wong climbed over the console to get behind the wheel.
But as he was about to start driving, he lost control of the vehicle, which first rammed into the car parked in front of it before veering into the adjacent lane, hurtling downhill and hitting two pedestrians who were standing on a traffic island from behind.