A fatal four-vehicle pile-up on Taiwan’s National Highway 1 in the Chiayi Shuishang section has resulted in a 16-month jail sentence for a lorry driver whose momentary distraction while retrieving his mobile phone led to a devastating crash.
The incident occurred in March last year at around 1pm when the driver, surnamed Yan, was travelling southbound on the expressway. Court documents stated that traffic conditions were normal and visibility was clear at the time.
Yan reportedly dropped his phone onto the driver’s seat floor and bent down to pick it up, failing to pay attention to the road ahead. Despite traffic congestion forming in front of him, he did not slow down.
The court heard that a car driven by a man surnamed Yu, travelling ahead, noticed the approaching lorry but was unable to avoid the impact. Yu attempted to swerve left, but the lorry collided with his vehicle before pushing it into another truck, triggering a chain reaction.
The force of the collision caused Yu’s car to be shoved into the central barrier and overturn, leaving it severely wrecked with debris scattered across the roadway.
Yu’s wife, who was seated in the front passenger seat, suffered catastrophic injuries including head trauma, multiple rib fractures, and internal chest damage. She was pronounced dead less than an hour after being rushed to hospital despite emergency treatment efforts. Yu survived but sustained multiple fractures and serious injuries.
During court proceedings at the Chiayi District Court, Yan admitted to the offence. Judges said that as a professional driver, he had a responsibility to remain attentive at all times, but his decision to retrieve his phone directly caused the crash.
The court also noted that Yan voluntarily surrendered after the incident, which qualified him for a reduced sentence. Although he expressed willingness to compensate the victim’s family, mediation efforts failed due to disagreements over settlement terms.
Taking into account his admission of guilt and conduct after the crash, the court sentenced Yan to 1 year and 4 months in prison for negligent manslaughter. The ruling remains subject to appeal.
