A Hong Kong judge has called on elderly drivers to regularly assess their ability to continue with their jobs, as she jailed a 70-year-old cabby for two years over a fatal collision that killed a teenage cyclist last year.
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Lau Chor-hi was sentenced on Friday for causing the death of student Wong Ho-chun, 17, after speeding along a bridge section of Kwai Tsing Road in the early hours of July 3, 2024.
West Kowloon Court heard that the defendant’s taxi was moving at 85 to 103 km/h when it crashed into Wong’s bicycle at 1.49am on the fast lane of the Tsing Yi-bound carriageway, exceeding the legal limit of 70km/h for the section.
Wong suffered extensive injuries to his head and body and never regained consciousness before he was pronounced dead in hospital at 9pm that day.
Dashcam footage showed the taxi driver, who was on night duty, had a clear view of the surroundings but failed to hit the brakes or make any attempt to avoid the student before the collision.
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Lau pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death last month.