A driver has been praised for parking his truck on the side of the road during an accident in China. Photo/AP
BEIJING – An original truck driver China won praise in local media for parking his vehicle across the highway and preventing more cars from falling off a slope after a section of road in the country’s mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Wang Xiangnan on Wednesday was driving along a highway in Guangdong province, an important economic hub in southern China. At around 2am, Wang saw several vehicles moving in the opposite direction of the four-lane highway and a fellow driver immediately alerted him about the collapse.
Reacting quickly, Wang, a former soldier, positioned his truck to block the highway, effectively stopping dozens of vehicles from approaching the danger, Jiupai News quoted Wang as saying. Meanwhile, his wife got out of the truck to warn other drivers about the situation.
“I didn’t think too much. I just wanted to stop the vehicle,” Wang said.
Wang’s brave act not only won praise from Chinese social media users but also recognition from the China Worker Development Foundation.
The foundation announced on Friday that in partnership with a car company, it had awarded Wang 10,000 yuan (USD1,414). A charity project linked to tech giant Alibaba Group Holding also gave the same amount to Wang, the Dahe Daily newspaper reported. Wang told the newspaper that he would donate the money to the families of the victims of the building collapse.
Local media also reported that another man knelt down to prevent the car from moving on the highway.
The accident occurred after a month of heavy rain in Guangdong. Some of the 23 vehicles that plunged into the deep ravine caught fire, causing thick clouds of smoke.
About 30 people were hospitalized. On Saturday, one person was discharged from hospital, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The others are improving, but one is still in serious condition.
