Keelung train services disrupted after fugitive crashes car on railway

Taipei, Nov. 26 (CNA) A total of 14 train services in northern Taiwan were disrupted on Wednesday after a fugitive drove his car along railway tracks in Keelung City early in the morning and abandoned it on the tracks when its tires burst.

Train operations were completely restored at 9:09 a.m., Taiwan Railway Corp. said.

The fugitive, a 33-year-old man surnamed Huang (黃), resisted attempts by patrolling officers to inspect his vehicle when they noticed him inside his car in the area at around 2 a.m. and instead fled from the scene.

He drove his car on to nearby railway tracks and traveled around 100 meters on tracks near the Keelung Train Station at high speed before his tires burst.

The man then tried to escape by climbing up the station building, and he reached the top floor before falling.

Fire department personnel eventually took him from the building and sent him to a hospital to treat his injuries. He was then released by the hospital and taken in by the police for questioning.

According to the police, they found that Huang was a fugitive already wanted for forgery and offenses against public safety.

Officers also seized drugs such as amphetamine and etomidate, also known as zombie vape in Taiwan, from his damaged vehicle, and police said a separate investigation will be launched into potential drug offenses.

The incident led to train delays later in the morning.

The Keelung station received a report of a vehicle driving onto the railway at 2:44 a.m., upon which relevant authorities were notified to handle the situation, according to Taiwan Railway.

After the vehicle was removed at 4:51 a.m., engineering units repaired damaged equipment, including guardrails and traffic signals, the railway company said.

The incident resulted in 12 trains being disrupted and two others canceled, before service returned to normal at 9:09 a.m., according to Taiwan Railway.