Surveillance camera videos show the Guangdong native driving his BMW SUV into a crowd of people at a zebra crossing. - SCREENGRAB FROM VIDEOUPPER6469/YOUTUBE
BEIJING (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): A driver who killed five and injured 13 others by ploughing his car into pedestrians in China in January has been sentenced to death, a Guangzhou court said on Tuesday (April 18).
Wen Qingyun, 22, was judged to have endangered public safety by intentionally driving his car into pedestrians crossing a junction and public property at around 5pm on Jan 11.
The accident occurred in Guangzhou’s Tianhe District at an intersection of Wanlinghui Plaza and Zhengjia Plaza during the evening peak hour in one of the city’s busier roads.
Surveillance camera videos show the Guangdong native driving his BMW SUV into a crowd of people at a zebra crossing.
A man can be heard yelling from the car as it is readjusted. It then speeds up and rams into a fence by the road and repeatedly crushes roadside barriers. The car is also seen nearly reversing into a traffic official wearing a reflective vest.
The front of Wen’s car appears damaged, with its headlights destroyed and the bonnet heavily dented.
Other videos circulated on social media show Wen standing next to his car throwing wads of cash into the air. As the authorities approached him, Wen attempts to flee on foot but is stopped and arrested.
Images circulated in January on social media show dozens of people lying on the road and pavement, their belongings strewn on the ground. Some are seen calling for help.
The court session was presided by a panel that of three judges and attended by around 60 people, Shanghai-based Pengpai News reported.
Wen appeared calm as his sentence was read out without visible emotional reactions, a family member present said, adding that he did not explain or apologise for his actions, only muttering “hou hui”, or regret in Chinese.
