On the night of August 10, a 3-year-old girl living in Tangwei Village, Bao’an District, was run over by a white SUV. Despite bystanders’ best attempts to rescue her, she passed away shortly afterwards. According to some residents’ testimony, the driver of the vehicle is inexperienced and had been backing up his car when the accident happened.
The scene took place on the short stretch of road leading into Area 13 of Tangwei Village, where the victim’s family lives. To enter, cars must go up a small slope; on the right is a basketball court and popular local hangout.
The mother of the victim, 33-year-old Mrs. Li, had brought two of her four children out to the basketball court to play that night. Her husband, Mr. Huang, was still working at his job at an insurance company.
One of the entrances into Area 13 of Tangwei Village
Around 8.30pm, the family started on the short walk home. Mrs. Li was holding her younger son in her arms. Her daughter, 3-year-old Huang Lili (assumed name), was walking slightly ahead of them, holding an umbrella that her older sister had left behind at a convenience store the day before. She reportedly hoped to return it to her sister that night.
However, a white SUV going down the path hit Lili, then ran her over. Photos and eyewitness accounts indicate the car was backing up at the time. Mrs. Li remembers it all happening too quickly for her to react: “I wanted to pull her but there was no time…”
Ten or so people in the vicinity rushed to help the little girl get out from under the car and she was transported to the hospital afterwards, where she died of her injuries.
Police later sealed off the area to investigate
Witnesses told a reporter from the Shenzhen Evening News that the driver seemed confused and repentant.
Mr. Zhang, who was inside a convenience store when the accident happened, said: “At the time, the driver didn’t even help lift the car, he probably was very scared.”
Local resident Mr. Chen claimed to be acquainted with the driver, who he said shared the last name of Chen (presumably no relation). According to him, the driver also lived in the area and had only had his white SUV for little more than a month.
“The driver seems to have only acquired his license fairly recently, it seems he didn’t even know he had hit a person, if he had [known] he wouldn’t have run the child over after knocking them down.”
According to Mrs. Li, the mother of the child, the driver and his family members had accompanied her to the hospital, hoping for her understanding. However, after Lili passed away, the Chen family didn’t appear again.
Police checking out the vehicle involved in the accident
Another resident of Tangwei Village commented that: “Every day many people are here, with cars running round it’s really very dangerous.”
The incident is currently being investigated by authorities.
[Images via Shenzhen News, Baidu Maps, Shenzhen Evening News]
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