Mother, son killed in Hualien crash after truck crosses into oncoming lane

Hualien, Sept. 5 (CNA) A mother and her son died in a car crash in Hualien County on Friday after an oncoming truck crossed into their lane and rammed into their vehicle. The truck driver was seriously injured.

The northbound truck veered into the southbound lane for some unknown reason and struck the car near the 238.5-kilometer marker on Provincial Highway 9 in Guangfu Township at around 5 p.m., leaving the mother, surnamed Lin (林), and her son trapped inside the severely damaged vehicle.

Firefighters used a hydraulic destructor set to free the pair from the wreckage. However, both were without signs of life and were pronounced dead upon reaching the hospital.

The truck driver, a 37-year-old man surnamed Lo (羅), had a collapsed lung, cerebral hemorrhage and rib fractures, and was hospitalized. He tested negative for alcohol.

Police said Lin and her son were not local residents, and have notified their family.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, police said.

(By Chang Chi and Lee Chieh-yu)

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