Driver held for drug-related negligent injury after cycling collision

Taipei, April 24 (CNA) A man who drove into a group of cyclists in Changhua County was formally detained Wednesday on suspicion of negligently causing injury and offenses against public safety while driving under the influence of drugs, according to prosecutors on Thursday.

The Changhua District Prosecutors Office said in a statement that the suspect, identified by his surname Hsiao (蕭), had been driving "strangely and dangerously" in the moments leading up to the collision in which seven teenage students on a cycling tour were injured, including one critically.

Hsiao, 41, tested positive for narcotics in blood and urine tests, and drug paraphernalia were found in his vehicle at the scene of the accident on Section 3 of Changshui Road in Pitou Township, prosecutors said.

Investigators believe that Hsiao had used drugs such as heroin, amphetamines and etomidate before the incident occurred, rendering him semi-conscious at the wheel.

Hsiao, who was also injured in the collision, evaded investigators' attempts to contact him and attempted to contact others to destroy evidence, prosecutors said.

The court approved the prosecutors' request that Hsiao be detained and held incommunicado according to the law, on the basis that he was suspected of serious crimes and might otherwise attempt to flee or destroy evidence.

Under Article 284 of Taiwan's Criminal Code, a person who negligently causes serious physical injury may be imprisoned for up to three years, while under Article 185, a person who drives a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs may also be imprisoned for up to three years.

Kang Chiao International School, which organized the cycling tour involving around 30 teachers and students, said on Thursday that a 15-year-old who was critically injured in the crash regained consciousness on Wednesday and is currently in a stable condition at National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH).

The boy received treatment at Erlin Christian Hospital and Changhua Christian Hospital, including surgery on Tuesday for severe head trauma and other injuries. He was transferred to NTUH on Wednesday.

The school said that two other students with serious injuries were also transferred to Taipei for treatment, while four others hit by Hsiao's car have returned home after receiving treatment in Changhua.

Despite the collision on Tuesday, some members of the group continued the cycling tour around the island, the school said, adding that they expect to complete their trip on Friday as originally planned.