A 55 year old man was trapped between two parked cars in Tai Kok Tsui on Wednesday evening after a taxi collided with one of the vehicles, pushing it forward and pinning his legs. Police later arrested the 64 year old taxi driver on suspicion of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm.
The crash happened at about 8pm on Tai Chuen Street, near a restaurant at numbers 12 to 18, according to information available about the incident. The collision involved a taxi and two parked private cars, with the injured man caught between the vehicles moments after he had left his Nissan.
Man trapped between two vehicles
The man had reportedly parked his Nissan on Tai Chuen Street and was standing between two cars that had been left nose to tail. He was positioned in the narrow gap between the vehicles when the taxi approached the area.
As the taxi turned into the street, it failed to stop in time and struck the rear parked car. The force of the impact sent the stationary vehicle forward, causing it to crash into the Nissan in front of it.
The man was caught between the vehicles as the parked car was pushed forward. His legs became trapped in the collision, leaving him unable to free himself without assistance.
The incident quickly brought emergency responders to the scene. Firefighters attended and worked to release the injured man from between the damaged vehicles.
Despite being trapped, the man remained conscious during the rescue operation. Firefighters eventually freed him, allowing paramedics to assess his injuries before he was taken to hospital.
Injured man taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital
The victim suffered injuries to his legs and was transported to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for medical treatment.
The circumstances of the collision meant that the man's position between the parked vehicles left him particularly vulnerable when the taxi struck the rear car. A relatively small movement of the parked vehicle became significant because the man was standing in the confined space between the cars.
Emergency crews had to deal with the physical obstruction created by the vehicles while ensuring that the injured man could be removed safely. The rescue operation ended with the victim conscious and receiving further medical care.
No further details about the severity of his injuries were provided in the initial account of the incident.
Taxi driver arrested
Police arrested the taxi driver, a 64 year old man surnamed Hui, following the collision.
He was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm, a serious traffic related offence. The arrest means police are treating the circumstances of the crash as potentially involving driving conduct serious enough to warrant a criminal investigation.
The case will depend on the evidence gathered by investigators, including the circumstances surrounding the taxi's turn into Tai Chuen Street and why the vehicle was unable to stop before hitting the parked car.
Investigators are also expected to examine the positions of the vehicles and the sequence of impacts. The first collision involved the taxi and the rear parked car, while the force then pushed that vehicle into the Nissan, where the injured man was standing.
Investigation follows evening crash
The collision took place at about 8pm, when activity on the street would have included vehicles entering and leaving the area. The precise circumstances leading up to the taxi's failure to stop were not immediately disclosed.
Police did not indicate in the initial information whether speed, visibility, road conditions, mechanical problems or another factor contributed to the crash. Those details would form part of the investigation into the driver's actions.
The arrest on suspicion of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm does not by itself establish guilt. The driver remains subject to the legal process while police continue to establish what happened before and during the collision.
For the injured man, the immediate priority was medical treatment after firefighters freed him from the gap between the vehicles. The incident also shows how quickly a collision involving a moving vehicle and parked cars can create a secondary danger for people standing nearby.
The investigation now centres on the taxi's movements as it entered Tai Chuen Street, the impact with the parked vehicle and the subsequent chain reaction that left the 55 year old man trapped and injured.