China's Hero Cop Saves Drivers From Plunging Into Sinkhole

2016/04/27

Chen Xiaoli

A Hangzhou police officer saved several drivers from going into a large sinkhole that opened up in the middle of a busy intersection on April 21.

After CNN news posted the footage online, the quick-thinking policeman went viral and was called "China's hero traffic cop."

Many other international media also reported this incident and praised the clever cop.

What really happened on that day?

It seemed to be a normal work day as the CCTV footage showed cars going back and forth at the intersection.

But a traffic policeman on duty sensed something wrong. There he found a crack on the road.

Without hesitation, the cop began diverting vehicles around the crack. He barely avoided being run over thanks to impatient motorists.

He then placed cones around the crack to prevent cars from driving over it.

Other officers could be seen assisting him.

In just FOUR minutes, a section of the road suddenly caved in.

It widened into a sinkhole which threatened to swallow up the nearby vehicles.

Traffic continued to skirt carefully around the hole but, thanks to the roadblock, nobody was hurt in the shocking near-miss.

People around the world appreciated his ability and experience to deal with emergency. He may have saved many lives thanks to his quick thinking.

So who is this hero?

His name is Li Weiqi, a police assistant from a unit of the traffic police department of Hangzhou Public Security Bureau. He was on duty around 2pm at the crossroad on April 21.

Some drivers were unwilling to make a detour at first when Li barred their way and set the roadblocks. However, they were all shocked when they saw the road collapsed.

They thanked Li for saving their lives. Li said it was just his duties and responsibilities. He worked till 11pm that day for road repair works.

Li has a monthly salary of about 2,000 yuan (US$312). He said he loves his job and it was happy and honored to ensure residents’ safety in a lovely city like Hangzhou.

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China's Hero Cop Saves Drivers From Plunging Into Sinkhole

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