Man dies after being thrown from taxi in crash near Hong Kong airport
Passenger ejected from taxi during collision with highway maintenance vehicle
A passenger who was not wearing a seat belt died after being ejected from a taxi that collided with a highway maintenance vehicle en route to the Hong Kong airport, the South China Morning Post has learned.
Police said they received a report at 9.46am on Wednesday from a cabby who claimed his New Territories taxi had collided with a road-maintenance shadow vehicle while travelling along the North Lantau Highway towards Hong Kong International Airport at a stretch of road opposite Citygate in Tung Chung.
A source said the driver of the shadow vehicle had parked in the fast lane to carry out maintenance work.
But the taxi driver failed to notice the obstruction and was unable to brake in time, crashing into the rear of the vehicle.
A shadow vehicle is a heavy-duty truck used by the Highways Department to protect workers during mobile road operations such as lane closures, gully emptying and emergency repairs.
The insider added that police and paramedics found the 27-year-old passenger, surnamed Chow, was likely not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident and was subsequently thrown from the taxi.