104-year-old woman dies after being hit by car in Chiayi

Taipei, March 2 (CNA) A 104-year-old woman in a wheelchair was killed Friday and her caretaker was injured after they were struck from behind by a vehicle while they out for a walk in Chiayi's Meishan Township, police said Sunday.

In a press release, the Chiayi County Police Department's Jhuci Precinct said that when its officers arrived on the scene shortly after 2:34 p.m. Friday, they found the elderly woman in semi-conscious state, with lacerations on her head and limbs.

The caregiver also had cuts and scrapes but was fully conscious, police said, adding that both women were taken to Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital.

On Saturday afternoon, the 104-year-old woman, surnamed Huang (黃), died in hospital of her injuries, police said.

Preliminary investigations have found that that Huang and her caregiver, aged 34, were out for a walk Friday afternoon, when they briefly entered Zhongshan Road to get around a truck that was parked on the shoulder of the road, according to police.

It was at that time they were hit from behind by a sedan, which sent them flying forward about 10 meters, police said.

The exact cause and legal culpability of the accident are still being investigated, police said, adding that the driver of the sedan had tested negative for alcohol in his system.