介绍:
Anchor:
People in China who attempt to profit through "Peng Ci," or extorting money from a driver through creating a traffic accident, may now find the practice more difficult.
CRI's Qi Zhi explains.
(Today/Reports/0915 Qi Zhi-Peng Ci)
Ann:
A court in the eastern city of Ningbo has recently reversed a verdict by local traffic police and exempted a driver from paying more than 1.2 million yuan in compensation, or about 200 thousand US dollars, to a man severely injured in a road accident in October last year.
The driver, Mr. Lin, still keeps a vivid memory of the accident.
(BJH/soundbites/0915lin, male, in Chinese)
"I was driving home and within the speed limit. He suddenly rushed to my car. My wife was also in the car and right after we stopped, she said that she thought the man was intending to collide with us."
Lin's car hit 58-year-old Li Awu, who remains in a coma today.
Records from the black box on Lin's car showed Li deliberately rushed to the car, which was approaching him at a speed of 40 kilometers per hour.
The city's traffic police judged Li shouldered more responsibility than Lin for the accident, but Lin had to compensate Li.
After reviewing Lin's records, the court acquitted Lin as they found Li deliberately fell onto the ground before the contact.
Li's family also had to pay the court fee of more than 15 thousand yuan.
In China, most road accidents involving vehicles colliding with walkers or cyclists end with a verdict that includes compensation from the vehicle driver, no matter how little responsibility the driver took.
The verdicts aim to better protect the disadvantaged in road mishaps, but sometimes help those plotting to extort drivers.
Analysts are hoping the court's ruling will help reverse the situation.
