Tesla driver jailed 22 months over fatal yellow-light crash
Bastillepost · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago4 MIN
Summary
A District Court in Hong Kong sentenced Tesla driver Au-yeung Siu-hong (歐陽劭匡), 32, to 22 months in prison on Thursday after he admitted dangerous driving causing the death of 19-year-old Pun Lisa in Yuen Long. The court also disqualified him from driving for five years, and ordered him to take a driving improvement course at his own expense
Key Points
- The fatal crash happened at about 8am on November 7, 2024, near a crossing on On Lok Road in Yuen Long, close to lamp post FA7842.
- Judge Chung Wai-keung said the defendant was speeding by nearly double the 50 km/h limit and accelerated through a yellow light to save waiting through one set of red lights.
- Pun Lisa, a 19-year-old Nepalese woman, was crossing from left to right at a second pedestrian crossing when the pedestrian signal was red, and she was hit by the left side of the car.
- The judge said a careful driver still had to protect other road users, and accident reconstruction found the crash could have been avoided if the car had been travelling at the speed limit and braked with a 0.9-second reaction time
- The court treated the driving as a moment of recklessness but said it was extremely dangerous and irresponsible; two psychiatric reports led to a discretionary two-month reduction because the defendant developed post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression after the crash.
Why It Matters
The ruling underlines that Hong Kong courts may impose substantial jail terms when drivers speed up at yellow lights near pedestrian crossings, even if a pedestrian also disobeys signals. For road users, the case is a reminder that split-second decisions at junctions can carry fatal consequences and long driving bans.