Driver pleads guilty to dangerous driving in incident where woman had foot amputated

A bus driver who was behind the wheel of a double decker that hit a woman and ran over her leg as she waited at a busy junction pleaded guilty to dangerous driving yesterday.

Liu Kam-wan, 48, was driving the A21 bus along Nathan Road in Mong Kok in November last year.

As he turned into Argyle Street, his bus hit 19-year-old Huang Xiaoyi, who had just reached the sidewalk, and ran over her right leg, breaking it.

Huang, a student from Guangzhou, was rushed to hospital and had to have her right foot amputated.

Appearing at District Court yesterday, Liu pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm.

According to RTHK, the court heard that at the time of the incident, he had stopped at the traffic lights where saw a large number of people trying to cross the street, and that Huang was one of a handful of people who were dragging suitcases at the time.

Defense lawyers said that Liu warned pedestrians that he was coming through by using the bus’ headlights and sounding his horn, and that at the time of the incident, Huang was standing next to the railing with her suitcase and was close to oncoming vehicles.

They added that despite driving at slow speed of about 10 to 20 kilometers per hour, Liu was still too close to the railing, and as a result struck Huang as she tried to get onto the sidewalk.

When he realised he had hit Huang, the defense said that Liu immediately stopped his vehicle to check on her and called emergency services.

Sing Tao reports that in a mitigating statement to the judge, the defense said that Liu doesn’t have a criminal record, that he has quit his job as a bus driver, and hasn’t driven a vehicle since the incident.

The defense added that Liu now works as a security guard, that he’s the family’s breadwinner and has to look after his elderly and disabled mom.

They also added that Liu felt a lot of remorse for what had happened, and even wrote a letter of apology to Huang, and that he would accept any punishment from the court, believing it’s the only way he could compensate the her.

Liu was released on bail, and sentencing will take place on February 13, pending an update on Huang’s condition.