Imprisoned dad granted leave to visit hospitalized children in Changhua

Taipei, Feb. 24 (CNA) The father of three children who were hit by a car on pedestrian crossing on Thursday was granted prison leave the following day to visit two of them in hospital, according to Taichung Prison, where he has been serving a five-year sentence.

The man, surnamed Chen (陳), visited his two daughters Friday night at Changhua Christian Hospital and Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, respectively, where they are both in intensive care, following the road accident in Changhua County, the prison said in a statement.

The prison said Chen was granted one day's leave in view of the tragic incident in his family, and he has been referred to a counselor to help him deal with the suffering.

Chen's three children, all of elementary school age, were hit by a car on a pedestrian crossing in the county's Shengang Township at 6:21 p.m. Thursday, according to police.

The two older siblings, two girls, sustained severe injuries, while their brother suffered only bruises on his left foot, according to the hospitals where they were taken.

One sister appears to have sustained serious brain damage, and the other one is being intubated, as her blood pressure remains very low, the hospitals said.

Their brother, who was not hospitalized, told the reporters Friday that when he and his sisters were crossing the street, they saw a car approaching, and his eldest sister pulled them into a run to get across the street quickly. However, they were hit by the car when they were almost on the other side, he said.

According to police, the 73-year-old driver surnamed Hsiao (蕭) was driving without a license. It had not yet been determined who had the right of way on the pedestrian crossing at the time of the accident, or how fast the car was going, police said, adding that the driver's breathalyzer test was negative.

The accident occurred one day before the 10th birthday of the eldest sister, who is in fourth grade, her elementary school said, conveying best wishes from its teachers and students for her quick recovery.

The three children are usually picked up from school by their uncle, who is their primary caretaker, but he was recovering Thursday from eye surgery, therefore, they had to go home by themselves, the school said.

According to their grandfather, the children's parents are divorced and their father is currently in prison. The three children have a very close relationship, and they look out for each other and do the household chores together, their grandfather told the local media.

The eldest sister tries to take care of the other two, and she also does well in school, her grandfather said.

Meanwhile, a maintenance worker at the Highway Bureau told CNA that the bureau and police had found no problems with the signals or the line markings at the accident site, during an inspection.

Consideration will be given to improving that pedestrian crossing, however, by means such as marking out a pedestrian island, the worker said, responding to public criticisms that the crossing is too long and oblique.

Local officials have also said they would consider solutions that would make the crossing safer, including installing more street lights if necessary on that section of the road.