A motorcycle rider died on Saturday after being hit by a tractor truck on the Macau-Taipa Friendship Bridge earlier that day, the authorities have announced.
According to statements from the Fire Services Bureau (CB) and the Public Security Police (PSP) on Saturday, the accident occurred at around 5:20 p.m. on Saturday when both vehicles were travelling from Taipa to the peninsula.
The PSP statement identified the victim as a 62-year-old local man surnamed Leong.
The PSP statement said that when Leong was riding on the bridge, Leong crashed his motorcycle into another motorbike which had pulled over after breaking down. As Leong was falling to the ground, the PSP statement said, he was hit by the tractor truck driving past the location at that very moment.
Firemen and paramedics rushed to the scene where they were unable to detect the motorbike rider’s heartbeat, and he was not breathing, the CB statement said.
The rider, who suffered head injuries, was rushed to the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre for emergency treatment, the CB statement said.
The PSP statement said that Leong later died in the hospital after emergency treatment to save his life had failed.
‘Special driving licence’
The PSP statement identified the tractor truck driver as a 41-year-old male mainlander surnamed Lu who holds a “special driving licence”. He passed a breathalyser test.
“Special driving licences” issued by the Macau government allow mainland drivers hired by Macau branches of mainland enterprises to drive in Macau as long as they are transporting goods or passengers between the mainland and Macau. When driving in Macau, they are only allowed to drive vehicles with both Macau and mainland registration number plates owned by the companies.
Saturday’s PSP statement said that the police had gathered evidence at the accident scene and scrutinised the area’s CCTV footage, adding that the police would prepare and submit a preliminary investigation report to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) for follow-up investigation.
The statement did not elaborate on the police’s investigation report.
The Public Security Police are urging witnesses to the accident to call their Traffic Department on 2837 4214.
Car rams into stationary truck
Meanwhile, a car rammed into the back of a stationary box truck near the Concórdia Industrial Park in Coloane on Saturday night, causing the car driver and his passenger to be slightly injured.
According to separate CB and PSP statements, the crash occurred on Rua das Árvores do Pagode at around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday when the box truck had stopped there for workers to unload goods. When the car smashed into the box truck, none of the workers were around the vehicle.
The 26-year-old car driver sustained slight head contusions and lip lacerations, while his passenger, a five-year-old boy, sustained slight abrasions to his left forearm and left leg, the CB statement said.
Both were taken to the private Kiang Wu Hospital for treatment.
The PSP statement said that the accident occurred because the car driver failed to notice in time that the box truck had stopped there.
