Driver in 8-vehicle pileup faces drug charges

New Taipei, May 6 (CNA) A driver in New Taipei tested positive for narcotics after allegedly causing an eight-vehicle pileup while attempting to pick up a dropped cellphone, leaving six motorcyclists injured, police said Wednesday.

The accident occurred on Guanqian Road, a key thoroughfare connecting Shulin and Yingge districts, according to the Sanxia Precinct of the New Taipei Police Department.

Police said a silver Mercedes-Benz sedan driven by a man surnamed Yang (楊), 66, veered into the opposite lane after Yang tried to retrieve a cellphone that had fallen to the floor of the vehicle.

The sedan sideswiped the rear right wheel of an oncoming car heading toward Shulin, police said.

In an attempt to avoid Yang's out-of-control vehicle, the struck car swerved, triggering a chain-reaction crash involving another sedan and six motorcycles, police added.

Six motorcyclists were injured in the accident, including three who suffered more serious injuries. The injured were taken to En Chu Kong Hospital in Sanxia and New Taipei Municipal Tucheng Hospital for treatment.

Police said officers were dispatched to the scene to manage traffic, assist the injured and secure the accident site while investigating the cause of the crash.

Yang's breathalyzer test showed no alcohol in his system, but a saliva drug test returned a positive result for ketamine, police said.

He was referred to prosecutors on suspicion of offenses against public safety, police said, adding that the exact cause of the accident and liability are still under investigation.