ROAD SAFETY/Tainan woman in fatal car crash suspected of involuntary manslaughter

Tainan, June 9 (CNA) A 76-year-old woman who caused a fatal car crash in Tainan on Sunday has been released on bail on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter, the city's prosecutors office said Monday.

Tainan District Prosecutors Office spokesperson Tsai Tsung-sheng (蔡宗聖) told CNA that prosecutors will conduct an autopsy later in the day on the male cyclist who was killed in Sunday's crash.

Tsai added that the driver, surnamed Liu (劉), was released on NT$100,000 (US$3,338) bail after questioning.

On Sunday, a cyclist in his 70s was killed after being struck by a car driven by Liu. Yen Jia-liang (顏嘉良), a deputy director of the Tainan City Police Department's First Precinct, told reporters that the accident happened around 1 p.m. on Dasyue Road near Shengli Road in the city's East District.

Liu first struck two cars waiting at a red light, then hit a bicycle at the intersection. She continued into the opposite lane, collided with another car and finally came to a stop after knocking over a row of parked scooters, damaging a total of 29 vehicles.

The Tainan City Fire Bureau said it received a report of the accident at 1:46 p.m.

When responders arrived, they found the male cyclist in cardiac arrest. He was taken to a hospital but could not be revived.

Furthermore, a male and a female scooter rider were taken to the hospital for their injuries.

According to Yen, a breathalyzer test at the scene showed no signs of alcohol, and a preliminary investigation suggests the crash was caused by negligence.

Tainan police added they are not ruling out the possibility that Liu may have accidentally stepped on the gas instead of the brakes when approaching the red light.