Employer says fatal crash driver 鈥榥ot careful鈥 in past
Print Edition
A TOUR bus driver charged over an accident in which 6 people died and 43 were injured was described in court by his employer yesterday as “not a very careful driver.”
Zhao Jingliang was appearing in Hongkou District People’s Court charged with causing traffic casualties.
The court heard that the bus being driven by the 42-year-old overturned after he leaned over to pick up his mobile phone and lost control of the vehicle.
In court, Zhao expressed his regret and offered his apologies to the victims and their families.
In a statement to the court, Zhao’s employer, Shanghai Bashi Xinlianyi Travel and Transportation Co, said that Zhao was not a very careful driver.
As evidence, it said he had earlier scraped a car while driving.
Prosecutors said Zhao, a driver for 17 years, was driving on Donghai Avenue at a speed of 70 to 75 kilometers per hour — at least 10 kilometers above the speed limit — just after 10am on November 3 when the accident happened.
When Zhao leaned down to retrieve his phone which had fallen, the bus veered to the right, striking barriers, the court heard.
When Zhao tried to correct this, he oversteered, sending the bus careering across the highway, hitting a lamppost and turning onto its side, said prosecutors.
Zhao said he tried to grab the phone as he heard a message.
The phone was provided by his company to communicate with his company and colleagues, the court heard.
In a statement, Shanghai Bashi Xinlianyi said all drivers are required to turn on their cellphones when driving to keep in touch with base and other drivers. It said it hadn’t called Zhao, although another driver could have.
Zhao admitted that he wasn’t wearing a seat belt and hadn’t asked passengers to fasten theirs.
He also admitted to prosecutors that he had broken traffic rules “two or three times before.”
Zhao’s lawyer argued that Shanghai Bashi Xinlianyi should bear some responsibility as it required the cellphone to be switched on and didn’t strictly enforce rules on seat belts.
But prosecutors said Zhao’s driving was the main cause of the accident.
If found guilty, Zhao faces up to seven years in prison.
No verdict was announced.
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