Medium-sized Bus Plunges Down Slope in Nantou's Wushe; Driver Unlicensed with 97 Unpaid Fines

(Central News Agency reporter Hsiao Po-yang, Nantou County, June 8) A medium-sized bus overturned and plunged down a slope along Provincial Highway 14 in Ren'ai Township, Nantou County, yesterday, resulting in the driver and 15 Filipino migrant workers being hospitalized. The driver, identified as Mr. Zhang, tested negative for alcohol and drugs, but does not hold a commercial large-vehicle driver's license, his ordinary small-vehicle license has been canceled, and he has 97 unpaid traffic fines totaling NT$660,000.

The 41-year-old Zhang was driving a 21-seat medium-sized bus carrying 15 Filipino migrant workers to Hehuanshan for sightseeing and flower viewing. Yesterday evening, while descending the mountain, the bus crashed into a roadside decorative flower bed at the 79-kilometer mark of Provincial Highway 14 in Ren'ai Township, Wushe, before overturning and plunging down the slope. The Nantou County Government Fire Bureau responded to the scene. Triage identified five individuals with more apparent injuries, while the remaining 11 were transported to hospitals for examination despite no obvious external injuries.

Today, the Ren'ai Precinct of the Nantou County Police Department, the Traffic Police Unit, the Puli Engineering Section of the Central Maintenance Engineering Division of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications' Highway Bureau, and the Nantou Supervisory Station of the Taichung District Supervisory Office arrived at the scene to clarify the incident. The Aviation, Maritime and Railway Transport Safety Investigation Commission also dispatched personnel to assess the situation, conduct preliminary photographic evidence collection, and evaluate whether to formally initiate an investigation. Police are currently handling the case under standard traffic accident procedures.

The Ren'ai Precinct stated today that Mr. Zhang may have lost control due to careless driving on a steep slope and sharp curve, causing the vehicle to veer off the roadway and fall down the slope. Testing confirmed no alcohol or drug use, but Zhang lacks a commercial large-vehicle driver's license, and his ordinary small-vehicle license has been canceled. Driving without a license while charging passengers constitutes a criminal offense, and police will issue citations and continue investigating the cause.

Preliminary investigations by police and regulatory authorities suggest the vehicle may have been traveling at a high speed. Additionally, some passengers reported smelling a 'burning odor' before the rollover, indicating possible brake fade due to frequent braking during the descent. Zhang claimed the brakes failed, causing him to lose control on the downhill curve.

The crash site is a hairpin turn with a flower bed maintained by the Ren'ai Township Office. The bus first struck the flower bed, then overturned and fell down the slope. Fortunately, a concrete platform on the slope 'caught' half the vehicle, preventing it from rolling further into a ravine over 100 meters deep. The operator plans to use a crane this afternoon to lift the bus and move it to a police impound lot. However, the location—a downhill curve with overhead power lines—poses operational challenges.

Regulatory authorities noted the bus was manufactured in February 2011, making it over 10 years old. It requires inspection every four months, and it passed its most recent inspection in May 2025 with normal registration status. It is understood that Zhang still has 97 unpaid fines totaling approximately NT$660,000. Investigators cannot rule out that the accident was related to Zhang's poor driving habits and lack of a commercial large-vehicle license. (Editor: Chen Ching-fang) 1150608

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