Bus driver blamed for crash in Guizhou

A BUS driver deliberately drove his vehicle off the road into a reservoir in southwestern China last week, killing 21 people, in an act of revenge against society over the demolition of his former home, police said yesterday.

Police in Anshun, Guizhou Province, said in a statement an autopsy of the driver showed the presence of alcohol in the stomach, blood and urine.

On July 7, at about 8:30am, the driver, identified as Zhang, discovered that his former home was being pulled down.

He made a call to the government affairs hotline and complained about the demolition.

At 8:50am, Zhang called another bus driver to exchange shifts.

Zhang bought alcohol from a grocery shop at 9:04am, mixed them with soft drinks and went to work. He sent a WeChat message to his girlfriend and expressed “cynicism and pessimism,” at 11:39am before getting behind the wheel of the bus at 11:47am.

As the bus passed the Hongshan Reservoir, surveillance cameras showed the vehicle slowing down and then veering to the opposite side of the road, crashing through a guardrail and plunging into the waters.

The bus had no mechanical problem, and had been in use since October last year, the statement said.

Among the 21 who died, 12 were students and five died in the crash. Zhang also died.

As a former employee of Xixiu District Diesel Engine Plant, Zhang owned a lease to the demolished home.

In 2016, the house was earmarked for renovation, and Zhang had signed an agreement with the district’s housing and construction bureau after agreeing to compensation of 72,542.94 yuan (US$10,360).

Anshun police concluded that Zhang was responsible for the incident and had endangered public security.