Taipei, April 23 (CNA) A 15-year-old student critically injured in central Taiwan during a school-organized cycling tour has shown signs of improvement and will be transferred to National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) in Taipei, Kang Chiao International School said Wednesday.
The student, from the school’s New Taipei campus, underwent emergency surgery on Tuesday for severe head trauma after he and his classmates were struck by a car in Pitou Township, Changhua County, earlier that day.
According to Changhua Christian Hospital, his condition has improved from level 3 to level 8 on the Glasgow Coma Scale, where level 15 indicates a fully conscious and normal state.
Kang Chiao International School said their student remains in the intensive care unit with stable vital signs, and that his family is coordinating with the hospital to arrange a transfer to NTUH for continued care.
The student was initially taken to Erlin Christian Hospital before being transferred to Changhua Christian Hospital. Both facilities are located in Changhua County.
The accident occurred when a car driven by a man of about 40 years old identified by his surname Hsiao (蕭) crossed into the oncoming lane and collided with the group of around 30 teacher and student cyclists on Section 3 of Changshui Road.
A total of eight people — seven students and the driver — were hospitalized, with the injured boy in the most serious condition, the Changhua County Fire Bureau said Tuesday.
Kang Chiao International School said the cycling activity included professional planning and safety measures, with support from bicycle manufacturer Giant and dedicated traffic control personnel.
The Changhua Police Department’s Beidou Precinct said initially that it suspected that the driver who struck the students fell asleep at the wheel and veered into oncoming traffic.
The driver told a local reporter by phone on Tuesday evening, however, that he had been picking something up at the time of the crash and admitted he was not paying attention.
He declined to specify what he was trying to pick up before hanging up. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
On Wednesday, Vision Zero Taiwan, a road safety and pedestrian rights advocacy group, attributed the tragedy to a “systemic failure” in Taiwan’s driver licensing system.
In a statement, the organization said the incident “highlights how unfit drivers can easily obtain a license and engage in dangerous driving behavior … ultimately leading to tragic accidents that endanger the lives of children and teenagers riding bicycles.”
The group added that the driver “not only failed to recognize that they were operating a highly dangerous vehicle, but also lacked the knowledge and ability required for safe driving.”
Vision Zero Taiwan criticized the current licensing system for enabling individuals without basic road safety awareness to drive and called on officials to push for reform at a Highways Bureau forum scheduled for Friday.
