An act of kindness by two lower secondary school students has spiralled into a legal controversy after they were deemed partly liable for a cyclist’s fall and ordered to pay approximately RM124,285 (220,000 yuan) in compensation.
The incident reportedly took place on 19 February 2026 in Putian, China, according to a report by Lianhe Zaobao.
The woman involved claimed she lost control of her bicycle after being startled while passing through the area. Traffic police later ruled that the two students bore partial responsibility for the incident.
Video footage uploaded on YouTube via the CHUCHU Channel showed the woman falling as she cycled past a white car. Reports indicated that she may have lost balance while attempting to avoid the vehicle.
According to the mother of one of the students, identified as Zheng, her daughter and another female classmate happened to be passing by shortly after the fall and stepped forward to assist. The footage showed the pair approaching the injured woman, with one briefly tending to her while the other lifted the fallen bicycle and helped her back on her feet.
However, Chinese financial news portal finance.sina.cn reported that in determining liability, authorities concluded that Zheng’s daughter’s actions had some impact on the development of the incident.
The student was subsequently classified as “secondarily responsible” and ordered to pay the compensation sought by the cyclist.
Local media reported that the parents of the students described the ruling as unacceptable, claiming it has caused significant financial strain and serious psychological distress to their child. The case has since been accepted by the court, with a hearing scheduled for the morning of 26 February 2026.
