A Hong Kong taxi driver contesting an HK$8.4 million (US$1.07 million) personal injury lawsuit has denied deliberately ramming his car into a crowd during the 2019 anti-government protests, insisting he had lost control of the vehicle after being assaulted by vigilantes.
Henry Cheng Kwok-chuen took to the witness box on Friday to defend himself against the claim by Park Hoi-lam, who suffered serious injuries in the collision in Sham Shui Po on October 6, 2019.
Park, a kindergarten clerk, accused Cheng of negligence when his taxi mounted a pavement near the junction of Cheung Sha Wan Road and Yen Chow Street and struck her during a demonstration.
She sustained serious leg injuries and underwent nine operations. She said she still suffered from knee pain, and that she could not walk for prolonged periods or lift heavy objects.
Defence lawyers have described their client as a victim of protest violence who had simply wanted to clear obstruction on roads and an end to the disorder.