SINGAPORE: A Singaporean woman has died at a hospital in Taiwan, two days after she was struck and run over by a bus during a family vacation there.
The China Medical University Hospital, where she was being treated, said its medical team made every effort to save the 67-year-old and provided intensive care, reported Taiwanese media outlet Focus Taiwan on Friday (Sept 18).
The woman died because of the severity of her injuries, Focus Taiwan reported, citing a written statement from the hospital, which expressed its regret over her death.
She had been crossing a road in the central city of Taichung at about 11am on Sept 16 when a bus making a right turn knocked her down and ran over her, trapping her under the vehicle.
Emergency responders freed her using a lifting air bag and spinal board, according to multiple local media outlets, including Central News Agency and LTN.
The woman had a cardiac arrest, open fractures in her upper right arm and lower left leg, and a fracture in her hip, local media outlets reported.
According to Central News Agency, she was taken to hospital, where her heartbeat was restored after resuscitation.
When contacted by The Straits Times, the Fire Bureau of Taichung Fire City Government confirmed on Sept 16 that media reports on the rescue and the woman’s condition were correct.
LTN reported that the woman was in Taiwan with her family of nine, including her daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter.
Central News Agency and local media outlet SETN, citing the police, reported that the 45-year-old bus driver was not driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The Taiwanese police also told the media outlets that they have contacted Singapore’s representative office in Taipei, and that the cause of the accident will be determined by a forensic unit.
The bus, with a decal reading “kuo kuang” on the front of the vehicle, is operated by major long-distance bus operator Kuo-Kuang Motor Transportation.
A spokesperson for the company had said in a media reply on Sept 17 that the woman was still in hospital, adding that its general manager had visited the family at the hospital, while staff were also with the family there.
The Taiwanese police said on Sept 18 that they will ask prosecutors to conduct an autopsy and investigate the death as a potential case of negligent homicide, reported Focus Taiwan.
ST has contacted the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs and China Medical University Hospital for more information. - The Straits Times/ANN
