On the evening of the 1st in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, a shocking incident occurred in which a car was deliberately driven into a crowd. A sedan suddenly accelerated in a busy district, running into pedestrians crossing the street. The driver then continued his rampage like hunting for prey, crashing at high speed into a motorcycle.
The assailant was finally forced to stop his car and was holding a sharp knife. The incident resulted in 1 death and 11 injuries. The 31-year-old suspect, surnamed Li, was arrested at the scene.
Multiple videos shared by a Chengdu local and reposted by the X platform account “Teacher Li is not your teacher” show that, at around 5 p.m. on the 1st, near the Silver泰城 commercial district at Tianfu 4th Street in Chengdu High-tech Zone, a pink-silver sedan waiting in the inner lane suddenly sped up after the light turned green, making a sharp right turn and crashing at high speed into a large group of pedestrians crossing the street, knocking many to the ground.
The footage shows at least six people knocked down after the crash. Witnesses said one of them was a child, and the scene was described as heartbreaking.
The car then sped away, continuing to drive at high speed like hunting for prey, reportedly driving at least another 2 kilometers, hitting anyone in its path. Video shows the car later driving the wrong way onto a sidewalk, then reversing out, ramming at high speed into a motorcycle carrying two people. One person was thrown to the ground, while the other and the motorcycle were pushed and hit by the car.
Witnesses said the vehicle was finally forced to stop by several brave drivers. The perpetrator got out holding a sharp knife and was talking on the phone, creating a chilling scene.
At 8:50 p.m., CCTV News reported that according to the Chengdu Public Security Bureau Traffic Management Department, a “traffic accident” occurred at 5:20 p.m. on May 1st on Jiannan Avenue in the High-Tech Zone.
The report stated that, according to a preliminary investigation, a 31-year-old man surnamed Li was driving a small car and, when turning right at the intersection of Jiannan Avenue and Tianfu 4th Street, “collided with pedestrians.” Li then fled the scene by car, during which time he successively collided with other vehicles and pedestrians. The accident resulted in 1 death and 11 others with varying degrees of injury. All the injured have been hospitalized.
The statement said that the suspect, Li, was apprehended at the scene after the incident. According to initial investigations, Li is suspected of “hit-and-run traffic offense.” Tests have ruled out drunk driving or drug use. The incident is under further investigation.