A drink-driving suspect in central China faked his death with the help of his family to evade prosecution before fleeing south.
Prosecutors in Anyang, Henan province, recently revealed the case to mainland media outlets, sparking widespread online attention.
In January last year, the man, surname Si, was arrested for drink-driving. Police later discovered that he had previously been penalised twice for driving without a license while intoxicated. He was released on bail pending investigation.
Under Chinese law, drink-driving can be classified as dangerous driving, punishable by licence revocation, criminal detention ranging from one to six months, and a fine.
Fearing imprisonment, Si devised a plan to fake his death. He later stated that mounting debts and his prior offences made him anxious that a conviction would jeopardise any chance of rebuilding his life.
In June last year, Si purchased a coffin, scattered empty medicine bottles throughout his home, held his breath, and used cooling equipment to chill his body, staging an apparent fatal overdose.