Falsely accused rider drops suit demanding apology over crash

An electric-bike rider who was falsely accused of crashing into a man who was riding another bike behind him in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, has dropped a lawsuit demanding an apology after reaching an out-of-court settlement.

The plaintiff, surnamed Teng, had asked for 1 yuan ($15 cents) in damages from the defendant, identified as Cao, and wanted an apology to be published in Jinhua Daily newspaper, according to court records.

The lawsuit was filed in connection with an incident on Sept 2, when Teng stopped in the road to help Cao after seeing that he had fallen from his own e-bike.

“Suddenly, a passer-by came from nowhere and said it was me who had knocked him down,” Teng was quoted as saying in court records.

“Then Cao changed his mind and started saying I’d hit him. People began to gather around and accuse me.”

When the police arrived, Cao told them the crash was caused by Teng.

Cao was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a fractured rib, which required surgery, and he asked Teng to pay for his medical expenses. Teng refused and insisted he had only offered to help and had nothing to do with the injuries.

The surveillance camera at the road intersection was broken, but the police were able to obtain video of the incident from a security camera at a nearby store.

Footage showed e-bikes traveling the two normally, with Teng ahead and Cao behind. According to the court, there was no evidence of a collision, but Cao’s bike suddenly fell over. Teng, hearing the crash behind him, stopped and went to assist Cao.

Upset by the accusation, Teng filed a lawsuit demanding that Cao publish an apology no smaller than 6 by 9 centimeters in Jinhua Daily, which would have cost 5,000 to 6,000 yuan. He said he hoped the action would prevent other good Samaritans from facing false accusations.

On Saturday, the court said both parties had come to an agreement after mediation. Teng dropped his claim for damages, and the money it would have cost for a published apology will instead be donated to the local Red Cross, the court said.