Driver in New Taipei crash may have been fleeing hit-and-run: Police

New Taipei, May 20 (CNA) The driver of a speeding car that slammed into pedestrians and killed at least three people in New Taipei on Monday may have been fleeing from a minor collision with another car, police said Tuesday.

Sanxia Precinct chief Liu Wen-hsiung (劉文雄) said that based on surveillance footage, the 78-year-old driver surnamed Yu (余) reversed into a vehicle behind him at red lights on Guoqing Road and Xuecheng Road before speeding through a crowded pedestrian crossing near Bei Da Elementary School.

The subsequent crash at the intersection of Guocheng Street and Guoguang Street left at least three people dead -- a woman in her 40s and two female students in their teens -- and 12 others injured, including Yu who is in critical condition, local authorities said.

It is still unclear whether the earlier collision constitutes a hit-and-run, the police said, as Yu is currently in a coma and cannot be questioned.

A parent surnamed Ting (丁) said in an interview with CNA that students from Bei Da Elementary School witnessed the sedan getting stuck on the traffic divider and reversing twice into another vehicle. The car then sped off toward Guocheng Street, heading in the direction of the school access lane.

Following the crash, reports emerged that Yu had previously been involved in a traffic incident with a female pedestrian pushing a baby stroller on the sidewalk of Guoqing Road in Sanxia in March 2020.

In response to media inquiries, Sanxia police confirmed that the driver involved in the incident five years ago was Yu.

Police said the 2020 incident was a case of negligence resulting in injury, but the two parties later reached a settlement, and the prosecutor in charge of the case decided not to press charges.

A preliminary tally found that Yu has had seven traffic violations within the past five years, mostly for parking infractions such as stopping in red zones and double parking.