The police announced yesterday that the car driver who killed a 10-year-old local boy after knocking him down and running him over on a zebra crossing on Wednesday night has been arrested for alleged homicide by negligence.
According to the Macau Penal Code, homicide by negligence is punishable by a prison term of up to three years. In the case of gross negligence, the offender faces a prison term of up to five years.
The police confirmed that the accident, which occurred in Toi San district, was caused by the car driver’s failure to give way to the boy on the zebra crossing.
The police also said yesterday that the driver told the police that he did not notice anybody walking across the zebra crossing.
Public Security Police (PSP) spokesman Cheong Heon Fan announced further details on the fatal accident during a regular police press conference yesterday.
The Post published an article about and photo of the shocking case yesterday. (https://www.macaupostdaily.com/news/28335)
Locals’ unprecedented reaction of grief and anger, floral tributes
The fatal case has unleashed an overwhelming wave of grief and anger across Macau’s civil society. The public reaction can be regarded as being unprecedented in scale and intensity, unseen in Macau in living memory. Apart from widespread outrage among netizens on social media, many residents flocked to the pavement next to the zebra crossing yesterday, leaving behind an ever‑growing collection of tributes. Flowers in a wide range of colours blanket the concrete, while various toys, including dolls and teddy bears, snacks, drinks, and various other items have been carefully arranged by the grieving public.
Members across civil society have also slammed what they regard as poorly designed locations of some zebra crossings across the city.
The accident occurred on the easternmost section of Avenida do Conselheiro Borja (青洲大馬路), when the boy was walking across the zebra crossing outside a PSP station situated next to the site where the now defunct greyhound racetrack (Yat Yuen Canidrome) is located.
The eastern section of the avenue serves as a dividing line between Toi San and Fai Chi Kei districts, with the Toi San residential neighbourhood in the northern side and the former Yat Yuen Canidrome in Fai Chi Kei in the south.
According to police announcements on Wednesday night, the police received a report at 8:18 p.m. on Wednesday about the accident. The boy was rushed to the private Kiang Wu Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 8:42 p.m. after emergency treatment to save his life had failed.
Driver did not slow down, no skid marks: police
During yesterday afternoon’s regular police press conference, Cheong said that the driver is a local man surnamed Chao who is in his forties. He told the police that he works as a computer engineer.
The boy was crossing the avenue from the Da Ming Court residential estate (大明閣) in Toi San district to the PSP station when he was hit by the car, Cheong said.
After gathering evidence while assessing the citywide CCTV camera system and the footage of the car’s dashboard camera, Cheong said, the police confirmed that the car driver, when approaching the zebra crossing, did not slow down at all and did not give way to the boy, eventually knocking him down and running him over before coming to a stop. Neither did the police detect any skid marks on the road surface.
The seven-seater was travelling westbound in the direction of Ilha Verde district.
According to Cheong, the driver told the police that he did not notice anybody walking across the zebra crossing when he approached it.
The driver, a permanent local resident, passed a breathalyser test, Cheong said.
Cheong said that following an investigation into the accident, the police arrested the driver on Wednesday night for suspected homicide by negligence, while also seizing his car. He was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday morning for further investigation and questioning.
Cheong pointed out that according to the Road Traffic Law, drivers are obliged to always slow down when approaching a zebra crossing, and to give way to any pedestrian walking across it. The police have meanwhile fined this driver for his failure to give way to a pedestrian on a zebra crossing, he said.
Cheong noted that according to the law, violators face a fine of between 600 and 2,500 patacas. Repeat offenders face a fine of 1,200 and 5,000 patacas and are banned from driving for between two and six months.
Cheong pointed out that according to Article 134 of the Macau Penal Code, homicide by negligence is punishable by a prison term of up to three years. In the case of gross negligence, the offender faces a prison term of up to five years.
Cheong stressed that the driver has no criminal record.
When asked by the Post during yesterday’s press conference, Cheong said that it will be up to the court to determine whether the case amounts to homicide by gross negligence.
Govt’s response
Meanwhile, the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) and the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) said in a joint statement yesterday that they are profoundly saddened by the tragic death of the student in the accident, and offered their deepest condolences and most sincere sympathies to the student’s family, relatives, and friends.
The joint statement said that the DSEDJ immediately activated its school crisis management mechanism, coordinating with the boy’s school and counselling agencies to initiate follow-up counselling support. Working in close communication with the IAS, the DSEDJ is providing the necessary assistance to the student’s family, making every effort to support them through this difficult time, the statement said.
School’s obituary notice
The boy studied at Lin Fong Pou Chai School, located just a stone’s throw from the zebra crossing. The school is run by the adjacent Lin Fong Temple.
The school issued an obituary notice on its website yesterday, which said that “the sudden loss of such a young life has left our entire school community deeply heartbroken and grieving”.
The notice said that the school immediately activated its crisis management team, which is dedicated to providing emotional support and counselling to teachers and other staff, students, and the affected family. As a mark of deep mourning for the student, the school has changed its website to black and white.
Informed sources told the Post last night that the student was the school’s lion dance team leader.
Residents’ aggrieved and indignant remarks
Meanwhile, the Post spoke to three passers-by when they were looking at the floral tributes on the pavement yesterday. A female resident said that drivers should always slow down when approaching a zebra crossing and should be ready to give way to the pedestrians crossing the road. She also slammed the “poorly designed” locations of some zebra crossings in the city.
A male resident noted that the zebra crossing where the accident occurred is very close to a flyover because of which drivers travelling along Avenida do Conselheiro Borja might be affected by low brightness levels there during the night. He suggested that the government install special and extra lighting for road areas underneath and around flyovers.
Another male resident said that many drivers in Macau often fail to slow down and give way to pedestrians walking across zebra crossings, because of which, he urged the government to study the feasibility of replacing more zebra crossings with traffic-light controlled crossings.
A woman yesterday leaves a floral tribute on the pavement next to the zebra crossing on Avenida do Conselheiro Borja near its junction with Avenida do Almirante Lacerda, where a boy died after being hit by a car on Wednesday night. – Photo: Tony Wong
Public Security Police (PSP) spokesman Cheong Heon Fan looks on during yesterday’s regular police press conference. – Photo: Tony Wong
