Man Pushed Volunteer Traffic Officer to Ground, Causing Fatal Head Injury; Taipei Court Sentences to 10 Years and 4 Months

(Central News Agency reporter Lin Chang-shun, Taipei, May 5) A construction worker surnamed Zhou got into an argument with a volunteer traffic officer surnamed Huang on November 11, 2022, while working on Xinglong Road, Section 1, in Taipei City. Zhou forcefully pushed Huang to the ground, causing him to lose consciousness due to a severe head injury. Huang passed away in March 2023. The Citizen Court of Taipei District Court today sentenced Zhou to 10 years and 4 months in prison. The ruling can be appealed.

According to the prosecution, at around 3:18 p.m. on November 11, 2022, Zhou, while working on Section 1 of Wenshan District's Xinglong Road in Taipei, argued with Huang, a volunteer traffic police officer on duty, over the construction site's location. Zhou used both hands to forcefully push Huang, causing the back of his head to violently strike the ground, rendering him unconscious.

Zhou then grabbed Huang's clothing with one hand, threw him onto the sidewalk, and dragged him for dozens of meters before dropping him. This caused Huang to suffer traumatic subdural hemorrhage, closed cranial fracture, right epidural hemorrhage, right subdural hemorrhage, right subarachnoid hemorrhage, right cerebral hemorrhage, right frontal bone fracture, bilateral parietal bone fractures, and left upper arm contusion. His Glasgow Coma Scale score was 6, indicating severe impairment, and he was unable to care for himself.

Huang was later admitted to an intensive care unit and placed on a ventilator, but his condition did not improve. On March 24, 2023, he was diagnosed as being in a vegetative state and was transferred to a nursing home for long-term care. On March 20, 2023, Huang died from cerebral edema and hypoxic brain damage caused by head injuries, complicated by acute and chronic lung inflammation and pulmonary edema.

The prosecution initially charged Zhou with causing serious bodily injury, but after Huang's death, amended the charge to causing death by injury. The case was subsequently transferred to the Citizen Court for trial.

The Citizen Court of Taipei District Court stated that Zhou, merely dissatisfied that Huang, a volunteer officer, did not follow instructions to change his traffic control position, violently pushed the smaller man, causing severe head trauma. Not only did Zhou fail to provide or seek medical assistance, but he instead dragged and threw Huang onto the roadside. Despite medical treatment, Huang remained in a vegetative state and eventually died in the care facility, causing immense grief to his family.

Considering that Zhou had prior convictions for assault, poor emotional and impulse control, denial of the offense, and failure to compensate the family, the court sentenced him to 10 years and 4 months in prison for obstructing public duty resulting in death. The ruling is appealable. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150805

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