Published: 5:44pm, 8 Jan 2025Updated: 6:06pm, 8 Jan 2025
About 50 family members and friends held a roadside memorial in Hong Kong to mourn a motorcyclist, who died last week in a crash after an off-duty customs officer tried to stop him from allegedly fleeing police.
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Wednesday’s memorial in Kowloon Bay was marked by Taoist rituals and saw mourners bring along bouquets of fresh flowers and offerings, including a McDonald’s meal, barbecue pork rice, oranges and a bottle of oolong tea for the deceased 27-year-old man.
Mourners also took turns to offer incense sticks, their heads bowed in contemplation.
The deceased’s girlfriend shed tears during the memorial, with friends and family offering comfort. The mother of the rider, dressed in a dark blue jacket with a hood, sunglasses and a face mask, was tearful but quiet.
The crash took place last Friday as the motorcyclist, surnamed Wong, sped along Wang Kee Street towards Lam Hing Street in Kowloon Bay, apparently fleeing from police after being ordered to stop for a poorly fitted licence plate.
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The rider veered out of control and crashed his vehicle into a metal pole and a tree by the road after a 40-year-old off-duty customs officer attempted to stop him. The motorcyclist sustained multiple serious injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident triggered widespread public debate about the appropriateness of the officer’s actions as dashcam footage showed him standing in the middle of the road, preparing to intercept the motorbike as it headed towards him at high speed.