A 74-year-old local man jaywalking in his electric wheelchair was hit by a taxi in Areia Preta district yesterday, the authorities said.
The senior citizen, who sustained abrasions to his left knee, was taken to the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre. There were no updates about his condition as of last night.
The cabbie in his sixties was not injured.
According to statements by the Fire Services Bureau (CB) and the Public Security Police (PSP), the accident occurred at around 12 p.m. yesterday when the taxi was turning into Estrada Marginal do Hipódromo (馬場海邊馬路) from Rua Alegre (永樂街) outside Hang Fa Garden (杏花新村) residential estate. The taxi hit the wheelchair “which was moving along the road”, the statements said.
The wheelchair user hit the taxi’s bonnet and then fell to the ground.
According to the PSP statement, the police have provisionally concluded that the taxi driver was turning into junction at an “excessively fast” speed so that he failed to brake in time.
The PSP statement said that the wheelchair user will be fined for jaywalking, while the cabbie will be fined for failing to drive at an “appropriate” speed allowing the driver to brake in time in case of the appearance of obstacles in front.
Both will face a fine of 300 patacas each, according to the Road Traffic Law.
The police said they are continuing their investigation into the exact cause of the accident.
The PSP statement said that the cabbie has violated Clause 1 of Article 30 of the Road Traffic Law, which states that vehicle drivers should drive at a speed – in line with the characteristics and conditions of the road, the specifications and conditions of the vehicle, the freight being carried, the weather conditions, the traffic conditions, and any other special circumstances – in a way that allows them to brake in time in case of the appearance of any obstacles in front of the vehicle.
Van rammed into fences on Outer ferry terminal flyover
Meanwhile, a van crashed into the barrier when travelling on the flyover outside the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal on Saturday, according to statements by the Fire Services Bureau (CB) and the Public Security Police (PSP) that day.
Some of the damaged barrier fell below the flyover, just next to the embankment of the sea.
According to the statements, the accident occurred at around 12 p.m. on Saturday when the van was travelling on the flyover towards Avenida do Dr Rodrigo Rodrigues (羅理基博士大馬路).
The accident damaged seven metres of the barrier.
The male driver, a non-resident worker in his fifties who was not injured, passed a breathalyser test.
According to the PSP statement, the police have provisionally concluded that the driver lost control of the van due to the slippery road surface during the rainfall.
