China Local News

“Who is to Blame?” – Harbin Toll Collectors Throw Rock at Speeding Car, Hurt 4-Year-Old in Back Seat

When a driver broke through a Harbin toll booth, toll workers were quick to stop him, hurting a little girl while doing so.

Published

3 years ago

August 15, 2018

Luka de Boni

When a car broke through a toll barrier in Harbin, toll collectors were quick to halt the car by throwing a rock through the window – injuring a little girl in the back seat. The incident went viral on Chinese media: ‘who is to blame?’ is a central question.

An accident that occurred in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, on August 11th has attracted massive attention on Chinese social media this week.

The incident occurred when a man driving an unlicensed black Nissan attempted to force his way through the Shijia (石家) highway toll gate.

Workers at the gate tried to stop the car, first by standing in front of it. But as the car accelerated, almost hitting the toll worker, another worker picked up a rock from the ground and threw it at the vehicle in an attempt to halt it.

Although they succeeded in making the car stop, they unwittingly injured a 4-year-old girl sitting in the back, as the rock hit her in the head.

One worker threw a stone at the car, and it ended up in the passenger’s seat of the driver’s side.

The incident was reported by NetEase News, and multiple videos on the incident (here and here) are making their rounds on social media.

The injured 4 year-old.

“Who is to blame?”, Sina News asked on Weibo, attracting hundreds of comments on its thread, while the incident was discussed by thousands of people on Weibo this week.

At time of writing, the Netease article on the incident had already gathered more than 190,000 comments.

Most commenters sympathize both with the toll-gate workers and the injured little girl, blaming the irresponsible driver for what happened: “The driver really has no shame, doing such dangerous things while there are children in his car,” a popular comment (14,000 likes) said.

Some even praised the tollgate workers as being ‘heroic,’ saying that the little girl was just a victim of her caretaker’s irresponsible behavior.

The Paper reports that the 4-year-old girl has received hospital treatment for her injuries and that she is recovering well.

Injuries caused by the rock, photo shown to local reporters.

While the driver has received a fine for his crime, authorities are still investigating whether or not the toll workers’ actions could be classified as “reasonable defense” (正当防卫).

By Luka de Boni and Manya Koetse
Follow @whatsonweibo

Miranda Barnes has contributed to this article.

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us.

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Luka de Boni

Luka de Boni is an MA student in Chinese Studies at the University of Duisburg-Essen with a degree in (Chinese&Indian) History from the University of SOAS. De Boni has a strong interest in Chinese political culture and the role of Confucianism in modern-day China.

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China Local News

One Dead, 17 Injured in Guangxi Kindergarten Knife Attack

News of a brutal kindergarten attack in Guangxi has shocked Chinese netizens.

Published

1 week ago

April 28, 2021

Manya Koetse

A brutal attack on a kindergarten in the city of Beiliu, Guangxi Province, has left at least one dead and 17 people injured. (Update April 29: Two victims have now passed away due to the attack.)

The incident occurred on the afternoon of April 28, when a man stormed into the school with a knife and started stabbing the pupils and teaching staff. The man attacked at least 16 children and 2 teachers. Blurred videos of the scene showed injured children in the playground area, some sitting up and some lying on the floor.

The 25-year-old man from Guangxi’s Guannan village was arrested shortly after the attack and his motives remain unknown at this time. One video on Weibo shows the man being taken away by police. Some online rumors (unconfirmed) suggested the man was going through a divorce and that his wife works at the kindergarten.

Local authorities in Beiliu and Yulin are calling on people to donate blood while the hospital is treating those who were injured in the attack. Images shared on Weibo showed people lining up to donate blood.

In June of 2020, a similar kindergarten attack left 39 children and staff injured.

On Weibo, the incident has become a trending topic, with many people expressing anger and sorrow over the attack.

“Is this another ‘mental disorder’ [case]?” (“又是精神病?”) many commenters write.

“This news really breaks my heart. Those poor children have done nothing wrong, they are innocent,” one person writes. Many others write that they hope the man will be severely punished. “He should be executed on the spot,” some say, with others writing: “Having a mental disorder is not an excuse.”

By Manya Koetse

Follow @whatsonweibo

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us. First-time commenters, please be patient – we will have to manually approve your comment before it appears.

China Local News

Delivery Man in Anhui Run Over by Ambulance Sent to Rescue Him

From bad to worse: this Eleme delivery man was run over by an ambulance after being hit by an SUV.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 12, 2021

Manya Koetse

On April 12, a delivery man in the city of Bozhou, Anhui province, was run over by an ambulance arriving at the scene of an accident where he had just been injured.

Shocking footage circulating on Chinese social media shows the delivery man lying in the middle of the road when the ambulance arrives and runs over his leg. The incident happened around 12:00 in the afternoon (link to video, viewer discretion advised).

While the delivery man already suffered injuries because he was hit by an SUV shortly before, things quickly went from bad to worse when the ambulance that was supposed to come to his rescue crushed his leg. The man is currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital in Mengcheng county.

Statement on Weibo by the official Mengcheng county account (@蒙城发布).

According to recent news reports, the ambulance driver has currently been suspended and is under investigation.

The incident received a lot of attention on Weibo today, where the hashtag page discussing the double accident received over 150 million views (#外卖员被救护车二次碾压#).

Many comments relating to this incident are focused on the role of the traffic police at the scene of the accident, with people wondering why there was no guard standing next to the victim.

Thousands of commenters also address how sorry they feel for the victim, especially because the lives of many food delivery drivers – facing long working hours and low wages – is already tough enough.

According to Toutiao News (头条新闻), the delivery man works for Chinese food delivery giant Eleme. Wang Gang (王刚, alias) is approximately 30 years old and has a wife and a child. He had only been working for Eleme for a few months and reportedly did not have any prior accidents.

In Monday’s double accident, Wang suffered a mild skull fracture, seven broken ribs, and a fractured lower leg. He is in stable condition.

By Manya Koetse

Follow @whatsonweibo