One of the cars wrecked in an accident in Shanghai on Saturday. Two passengers were trapped inside and burned to death on the scene. Provided by Shanghai Morning Post to China Daily
A man detained by police after three people died in a car crash in Shanghai on Saturday had more than double the permitted level of alcohol in his blood, police said yesterday.
They are treating the case as murder.
The suspect, a 46-year-old man surnamed Huang, had tried to flee the scene of an accident when taxi driver Shen Jianguo, 45, jumped on the hood of Huang's car to try to stop him.
Huang had hit a female pedestrian and Shen's taxi was damaged when the cabbie tried to stop Huang from leaving, witnesses said.
Shen hung on for about a kilometer before the car crashed into the back of another car, a Chery QQ, which caught fire. A man and a woman inside were burned to death.
The impact of the accident and the damage to their vehicle, which was badly crushed, made it impossible for them to escape, police said.
Shen was thrown from Huang's car when it crashed, sustaining fatal injuries.
The taxi company described Shen as a hero for trying to stop Huang's car.
Police said a passenger in Huang's car had tried in vain to grab the keys to stop the car. The passenger described Huang as "crazy during the process."
Meanwhile, two moped riders were injured after being knocked down by a speeding car yesterday. The incident happened at about 6:30am on Xuesong Road. Police are still looking for the car driver.
One female rider had severe head and back injuries while the other rider suffered cuts and bruises.
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