Tainan Man Accidentally Rides Motorcycle onto Highway, Jumps into River After Crash and is Rescued
A 21-year-old man in Tainan who accidentally rode his motorcycle onto a national highway and was involved in a crash, subsequently jumped from the highway into an adjacent river. He was later found by police and fire personnel and sent to the hospital for examination, and is suspected of having mental health issues.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 22, 2026 at 12:26
- 🔍 Collected: April 22, 2026 at 12:31 (5 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 22, 2026 at 19:06 (6h 34m after Collected)
Central News Agency, Tainan, 22nd (Reporter Yang Szu-jui) — A man who accidentally rode his motorcycle onto National Freeway 1 early this morning and was involved in a traffic accident in the northbound Rende section in Tainan, jumped from the highway into the adjacent Sanyei Creek. After a lengthy search, police and fire personnel found him and sent him to the hospital for examination.
The Tainan City Fire Department received a report at 5:47 AM stating that a motorcycle had allegedly entered National Freeway 1 from the Kaohsiung area by mistake and was involved in a crash near the northbound Rende Interchange in Tainan, but the rider was missing. Personnel and vehicles were dispatched for rescue. After searching along the Sanyei Creek below the freeway, they found the individual around 7:43 AM in the river channel near a pumping station.
After firefighters set up a ladder to descend into the river, they made contact with the 21-year-old man and performed a preliminary injury assessment. They found he had abrasions on his limbs and was conscious but unable to respond normally, possibly due to a pre-existing mental health condition. The man was then assisted ashore and taken by ambulance to National Cheng Kung University Hospital for observation.
Huang Shih-yuan, captain of the Xinshi Precinct of the National Highway Police Bureau's Fourth Brigade, told the media that a report was received at 3:47 AM about a motorcycle trespassing on the northbound section of National Freeway 1 at the 327.1-kilometer mark in Rende, Tainan. Upon arrival, they found a motorcycle that had been hit successively by a passenger car and a large truck. The motorcycle was lying in the inner lane, and the rider was not at the scene.
Huang said that during a joint search with fire personnel, the rider's shoes, clothes, and wallet were found near the embankment of the accident section. After a continued search, the man, surnamed Wu, was found in the river channel below the embankment at the 327.3-kilometer mark of National Freeway 1 North. At 8:06 AM, firefighters brought Mr. Wu ashore and sent him for a medical check-up.
Police stated that based on preliminary evidence from the scene, it is believed the rider was not on the motorcycle when it was hit by other vehicles. After reviewing relevant footage, it was determined that the man jumped from the highway on his own. As the man's mental state prevented normal communication, and tests for alcohol and drugs were negative, the reason for riding onto the highway could not yet be confirmed.
Police also urged that if a motorcyclist mistakenly enters a national highway, they should immediately pull over to the outer shoulder and stop riding. They should then wait in a safe location outside the guardrail and call 110 for police or 1968 to notify relevant highway authorities for assistance. (Editor: Chang Ming-kun) 1150422
The Tainan City Fire Department received a report at 5:47 AM stating that a motorcycle had allegedly entered National Freeway 1 from the Kaohsiung area by mistake and was involved in a crash near the northbound Rende Interchange in Tainan, but the rider was missing. Personnel and vehicles were dispatched for rescue. After searching along the Sanyei Creek below the freeway, they found the individual around 7:43 AM in the river channel near a pumping station.
After firefighters set up a ladder to descend into the river, they made contact with the 21-year-old man and performed a preliminary injury assessment. They found he had abrasions on his limbs and was conscious but unable to respond normally, possibly due to a pre-existing mental health condition. The man was then assisted ashore and taken by ambulance to National Cheng Kung University Hospital for observation.
Huang Shih-yuan, captain of the Xinshi Precinct of the National Highway Police Bureau's Fourth Brigade, told the media that a report was received at 3:47 AM about a motorcycle trespassing on the northbound section of National Freeway 1 at the 327.1-kilometer mark in Rende, Tainan. Upon arrival, they found a motorcycle that had been hit successively by a passenger car and a large truck. The motorcycle was lying in the inner lane, and the rider was not at the scene.
Huang said that during a joint search with fire personnel, the rider's shoes, clothes, and wallet were found near the embankment of the accident section. After a continued search, the man, surnamed Wu, was found in the river channel below the embankment at the 327.3-kilometer mark of National Freeway 1 North. At 8:06 AM, firefighters brought Mr. Wu ashore and sent him for a medical check-up.
Police stated that based on preliminary evidence from the scene, it is believed the rider was not on the motorcycle when it was hit by other vehicles. After reviewing relevant footage, it was determined that the man jumped from the highway on his own. As the man's mental state prevented normal communication, and tests for alcohol and drugs were negative, the reason for riding onto the highway could not yet be confirmed.
Police also urged that if a motorcyclist mistakenly enters a national highway, they should immediately pull over to the outer shoulder and stop riding. They should then wait in a safe location outside the guardrail and call 110 for police or 1968 to notify relevant highway authorities for assistance. (Editor: Chang Ming-kun) 1150422