A man surnamed Hsu 徐 went on a trip to Kenting with friends during the New Year’s holiday. In the early hours of yesterday, he learned that two of his friends were assaulted by a group of nine youths on motorcycles on Kenting Street. Enraged and under the influence of alcohol, he drove a Mercedes with three other friends to seek revenge.
After a six-kilometer chase, he suspected that one of the opposing motorcycles crashed, causing him to panic and crash his car, resulting in a friend surnamed Chan suffering a fatal head injury and dying after being taken to the hospital. The police brought in thirteen people from both sides by last night and are investigating them for crimes of group fighting and endangering public safety.
The investigation revealed that Hsu, 25 years old from Taoyuan, and his group were approached by Hou, a 22-year-old from Pingtung, and seven other youths riding on five motorcycles. The youths attacked two of Hsu’s friends with a watermelon knife and clubs after being provoked by one of them. After the attack, Hou and his group left on their motorcycles.
Hsu and his friends, who had been drinking, arrived at the scene and immediately chased after them, following them for about six kilometers north from Kenting Street to the Nanwan area. A 14-year-old boy surnamed Lin, suspected of being nervous, crashed into the road barrier and fell down the slope. Hsu, shocked by the scene, also lost control and crashed into a water company’s air valve about five meters behind, destroying the car’s front and causing a large amount of water to gush out. Chan, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, sustained severe head injuries.
Emergency services responded to the scene and transported Chan and the young Lin to the hospital. Chan succumbed to his injuries, while Hou and others on four motorcycles fled. Hsu and four others were taken in for questioning, with Hsu’s alcohol test showing 0.49 mg, implicating him in public danger and manslaughter. The rest are being investigated for their involvement in the group fight.