Truck driver flees after vehicle crashes and bursts into flames on Lantau highway
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A truck driver disappeared after his vehicle crashed into roadside barriers and erupted in flames on Hong Kong's Lantau Island during an amber rainstorm warning in the early hours of Saturday. The 16-tonne truck, laden with electronic parts and bound for the airport, skidded on the wet highway surface near Tung Chung Eastern Interchange before coming to rest on the shoulder and catching fire. Debris from the collision injured two people travelling in a taxi behind the truck, while the driver fled the scene after notifying his employer, leaving police investigating the incident and searching for his whereabouts.
Key Points
- Incident occurred at approximately 3:15am on Saturday during an amber rainstorm warning on North Lantau Highway
- A 16-tonne truck carrying electronic parts crashed near Tung Chung Eastern Interchange, striking 8 metres of barriers before sliding 30 metres
- The vehicle quickly caught fire, with fierce flames and thick smoke visible; explosions were heard as firefighters extinguished the blaze
- Debris struck a taxi, injuring the 32-year-old male driver (hospitalised at North Lantau Hospital) and a 27-year-old male passenger
- The truck driver notified his employer and colleague of the accident but left before police arrived, later losing contact with them
- By 9:21am, parts of the airport-bound North Lantau Highway near Tung Chung East Interchange remained closed due to the vehicle fire
Why It Matters
Police investigations will focus on determining why the truck driver fled the scene after reporting the accident to his employer, which may indicate potential violations of road safety regulations or other legal obligations. The incident also raises concerns about road safety protocols during severe weather conditions, as the amber rainstorm warning coincided with the crash on a major arterial route connecting the airport to Hong Kong's urban areas.
Police investigations will focus on determining why the truck driver fled the scene after reporting the accident to his employer, which may indicate potential violations of road safety regulations or other legal obligations. The incident also raises concerns about road safety protocols during severe weather conditions, as the amber rainstorm warning coincided with the crash on a major arterial route connecting the airport to Hong Kong's urban areas.