Killer driver held over hit-and-run fatality

A driver who served a prison term for causing the death of a motorcyclist has been held over a hit-and-run incident this month in which a cyclist died.

The 25-year-old suspect, surnamed Wen, is said to have hit a bicycle as he drove toward the intersection of Xinsheng Road and You'ai Road in Qingpu District at 7pm on April 12.

The cyclist died at the scene and the vehicle involved drove off immediately.

Police traced the car through surveillance camera footage and spoke to the vehicle owner, surnamed Chen, three hours later.

Chen said he lent the car to Wen in the afternoon and identified him in a picture of the suspect taken by a surveillance camera.

Police found the car in a village in Qingpu's Baihe Town at 2am the next morning.

Wen handed himself in at a Qingpu police station at around 10am.

He told police he was driving at a high speed toward the crossroads and didn't see the cycle coming on to road.

The impact of the collision flung the cyclist more than 10 meters, and Wen decided to drive away out of fear, police said.

This was not Wen's first involvement in a fatal traffic accident.

Back in December 2006, Wen struck a motorcycle while driving a car without a license in Qingpu District.

The motorcyclist died at the scene and Wen was sentenced to a prison term of three years and six months. Wen is currently under detention. The accident is still being investigated.