Taichung man stabs woman in park, flees onto highway and is hit by car

Taipei, Jan. 29 (CNA) A man who repeatedly stabbed a woman in a Taichung park Thursday morning was taken into custody after he fled on foot onto National Freeway 1 and was hit by a car, authorities said.

The Taichung Police Department's Daya Precinct said it received a report at 8:11 a.m. about a woman who had been attacked with a knife in a park on Longshan 2nd Street.

Upon arriving at the park, emergency responders found the victim, a 63-year-old woman, surnamed Lee (李), with eight stab wounds to her neck, left arm, back and forehead.

Lee was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where she was intubated and sent for emergency surgery.

Following a preliminary investigation, police determined that the assailant, surnamed Chang (張), had stabbed Lee after an argument.

Local news sources reported that Lee taught folk dance classes at the park, and that Chang may have been irritated by the volume of her music.

After the stabbing, Chang fled onto the nearby National Freeway 1, where he was struck by a car and injured, police said.

According to multiple news outlets, Chang, 35, recently wrote a long post on social media complaining, among other things, about the frequent noise in the park and a 5.5-year prison sentence he had been given for growing marijuana, which he was scheduled to begin serving soon.

In the post, Chang also threatened to kill people and said he would meet with his family and friends and "be a good person if there is a next life," the outlets reported.

Taichung police are in the process of investigating the attack, after which Chang will be transferred to the Taichung District Prosecutors Office on suspicion of attempted murder.

As of 3:30 p.m., authorities had yet to provide updates on the condition of Lee or Chang.