One of the two road maintenance workers who was killed in a collision on Tsing Kwai Highway yesterday morning took the job in order to pay for his 10-year-old daughter’s leukaemia treatment, his wife says.
Chan Muk-yuen, 49, was one of three road maintenance workers hit by a taxi which allegedly lost control on Tsing Kwai Highway in the early hours of yesterday.
One worker was declared dead at the scene, while Chan, who had been thrown 30 metres from the impact of the collision, was taken to Princess Margaret Hospital, where he was confirmed dead shortly afterwards.
Chan’s wife said her husband took a job in road maintenance and worked constantly, taking only two days off a month in order to cover the family’s growing needs, Oriental Daily reports.
He was the sole breadwinner as his wife gave up her job to care for their younger daughter.
The stay-at-home mother wept as she told reporters about her 10-year-old’s mounting medical fees, and the cost of her 13-year-old daughter’s extracurricular tuition.
“He was a wonderful father who would do anything to provide for the family. Now that he’s gone, I don’t know what to do – especially as our younger daughter’s medical bills far exceed what we can afford,” she said at Princess Margaret Hospital yesterday.
The grieving widow also criticised her husband’s employers for failing to tell her about the incident.
“They didn’t contact me. My husband’s colleagues told me he was injured in an accident, but the company couldn’t tell me anything when I called.”
She was later notified by the hospital of her husband’s death. Following two hours of negotiations with Chan’s widow, the company has offered the family HKD100,000, according to Ming Pao.
Donations have also been pouring in from citizens wishing to aid the grieving families in their time of need, but HK01 reports that the family of Chan Fai, the 41-year-old worker who died at the scene, has declined the money.
“These generous people should donate the money to people who need it more than we do,” Chan Fai’s family was quoted as saying. The 41-year-old, who was unmarried, is survived by his brother and mother.
At around 4:25am yesterday, a taxi reportedly lost control on Tsing Kwai Highway, near Mei Foo Sun Chuen. It crashed into a road maintenance truck before hitting three workers who were rearranging traffic cones on the highway.
One worker, 33-year-old surnamed Wong, suffered serious injuries and remains in critical condition.
A police source told the SCMP that the cab driver, a 54-year-old man surnamed Lun, is suspected to have fallen asleep behind the wheel prior to the collision.
Lun was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after he was treated for light forehead abrasions.
The 54-year-old passed a breathalyser test, traffic police told reporters. According to police, there were adequate warnings and direction signs at the scene, with a warning sign placed around 600 metres from the construction site, and all workers were wearing safety vests.
Apple Daily is accepting charitable donations for Chan Muk-yuen’s family. The company has pledged to cover all administration costs and give all funds donated under the family’s unique case number (C4153) to Chan’s widow in their entirety.
How to donate:
By cash donation:
Cash donations will be accepted at OK convenience stores, and receipts will be provided for donations over HKD100. Please fill out a donation form (viewable in Chinese only) and send it to Apple Daily Charitable Foundation via email/WhatsApp/fax/post afterwards (full details below).
By bank transfer:
Account name(s): Apple Daily Charitable Foundation
Reference/case number: C4153
HSBC
Account number: 580-198836-001
Hang Seng
Account number: 368-006565-001
Bank of China
Account number: 012-898-00067655
BEA (current account)
Account number: 015-514-68-01678-5
Receipts will be provided for donations over HKD100. Please fill out a donation form (viewable in Chinese only) and send it to Apple Daily Charitable Foundation afterwards (details below).
By online transfer:
Follow this link (viewable in Chinese only) to make donations online with Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and PPS. Please fill out a donation form (viewable in Chinese only) and send it to Apple Daily Charitable Foundation afterwards (details below).
By cheque:
You can also donate via cheque payable to Apple Daily Charitable Foundation. Please write “C4153” on the back of the cheque and mail it to the fund (address provided below).
Where to send your donation form:
Email: charity@adfund.org.hk
Fax: 2307 6307
WhatsApp: 9662 7828
Postal address: 1/F, 8 Chun Ying Street, Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories, Hong Kong
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