Coach driver involved in Tsing Yi crash dies of his injuries in hospital, says government spokeswoman
- The 62-year-old had been in a critical condition at Princess Margaret Hospital since Friday’s crash
- Investigators are trying to establish if the driver had dozed off at the wheel at the time of the crash and whether he was wearing a seat belt
The coach driver in last Friday’s fatal collision with a taxi, which killed five people and injured 32 others, died of his injuries in hospital at 2.29pm on Tuesday, a government spokeswoman said.
Fok Chi-sum, 62, had been in a critical condition, having suffered internal bleeding, at Princess Margaret Hospital since the crash. He had also been under police investigation to establish whether he had been dozing off at the wheel and, consequently, if human error should be blamed for the crash.
Government sources said he had been involved in two previous road accidents this year, both of which also happened as he was driving workers to Hong Kong International Airport at night or in the early hours of the morning.
One source said the other incidents Fok had been involved in were caused by “speeding” and “careless driving”.
The most recent of Fok’s accidents happened on the Cheung Tsing Highway, Tsing Yi at about 5am last Friday when his coach ploughed into the back of a stationary taxi. The coach was carrying 36 passengers, including 20 workers from the Cathay Pacific Group.
The collision happened 30 to 40 seconds after the taxi broke down and the driver switched on the hazard lights; about 10 other vehicles had overtaken the cab by the time the crash happened, according to the source.