Coach driver stands trial for hitting, killing e-bike rider

A coach driver was put on trial on Monday in Jinshan by the district procuratorate for running over a woman on an e-bike while he was busy on the phone despite driving.

On February 21, police received a call from the coach driver surnamed Zhang, who claimed that he had accidentally hit a woman riding an e-bike when he was turning right.

“I heard something when I was making the turn,” Zhang told the police. “I looked in the rear-view mirror and saw an e-bike lying on the ground near the right rear wheel.”

According to Zhang, he immediately stopped the vehicle. The woman died on the spot.

Zhang said he was driving from west to east, the e-biker was driving in the same direction. But when he made the turn, he didn’t see her.

Yet when the traffic police asked how he could miss the e-bike, Zhang became vague.

Repeatedly questioned closely by the police officers, Zhang finally admitted he was taking a phone call when he took the turn.

On March 11, traffic police decided Zhang should take full responsibility for the incident.

He was charged with traffic offenses by the procuratorate for violating relevant laws and negligently causing the death of the woman.

The procurators said playing with phones while driving hugely impacts the driver’s judgment and ability to react to various situations.

In Zhang’s case, a life was lost just because he was distracted for a moment.