Teen driver in deadly accident held in juvenile detention center

Taipei, Oct. 18 (CNA) The case of a 15-year-old boy who crashed a car into a small restaurant and left three people dead and two others injured in Taipei's Neihu District on Thursday will be handled by the juvenile division of a local district court, police said on Friday.

According to police, the suspect, surnamed Tseng (曾), will be investigated for negligently causing the death of the three people who died based on Taiwan's Criminal Code.

Following an examination, Shilin prosecutors confirmed that the three victims' deaths were all caused by Thursday's crash.

Because the boy is still a minor, however, police handed the case directly to the Shilin District Court's Juvenile Division.

The division decided after further questioning on Friday that Tseng be detained at the Taipei juvenile detention center under the Ministry of Justice's Agency of Corrections.

The results of the investigation will decide the next step in the case. Because of the case's severity, it could still go to a criminal court, according to the Shilin District Court's description of how juvenile cases can be handled.

At a press conference, the Neihu police precinct's chief inspector Chueh Yu-jen (闕育任) said Tseng is suspected of having lost control of the vehicle he was driving without a license at a high speed.

The accident, which occurred at the intersection of Donghu Road and Ankang Road, left three people dead, including a 61-year-old scooter rider and two restaurant customers, aged 51 and 60.

The 40-year-old operator of the restaurant and her 41-year-old female employee suffered burns in the accident but were conscious.

Subsequent breathalyzer and urine tests indicated that Tseng was not driving under the influence at the time and had not consumed any recreational drugs, police said.

Tseng lives with his father in New Taipei's Yonghe District, and according to authorities, the car that the boy drove actually belonged to his grandfather, who lives in Neihu but is currently abroad.

On Thursday, Tseng went to his grandfather's place, took the car keys and drove away in his vehicle from a parking lot in New Taipei's Xizhi District, police said, adding that the boy had intended to drive back to Neihu to meet with his friends when the accident happened.

The teen was immediately arrested and brought in for questioning by police, who said his father later arrived at the precinct after being notified of the matter.