A Singaporean man traveled with his wife and daughter to Taiwan, renting a car for a self-drive tour when they crashed into a power pole. The Chinese national wife was trapped in the car and was pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital.
According to Taiwanese media reports, the car accident occurred on the 14th around 2 p.m. at about the 114-kilometer mark on the Tai 3 line in Shitan Township, Miaoli County. At the time, a car crashed into a pole, causing two utility poles to topple.
Miaoli County Fire Department firefighters stated that a man and a young girl inside the car managed to escape on their own, suffering abrasions on their limbs. A woman was trapped in the back seat and was found without breathing or heartbeat when rescued; she was declared dead at the hospital.
Police reported that the car was driven by a 36-year-old Singaporean man with the surname Lu, who was traveling with his 33-year-old wife surnamed Chen and their 5-year-old daughter in Taiwan for a self-drive tour. On that day, they were picking strawberries in Miaoli and after the activity, they were heading to Nanzhuang when the vehicle, for unknown reasons, crashed into the power pole along the road.
Footage released by local police showed the rental car driven by Mr. Lu suddenly veering off the lane, crossing into the opposite lane, and crashing into a roadside utility pole, causing significant damage to the car's front and breaking the utility pole.
Mr. Lu's breath test showed no alcohol involvement, and after the incident, he expressed that he "felt a bit sleepy and momentarily lost focus." The exact cause of the accident is still subject to further investigation by forensic and police examinations.