CHANGHUA (TVBS News) — The condition of a 15-year-old Kang Chiao International School (康橋國際學校) student has stabilized following a cycling accident in central Taiwan, according to Changhua Christian Hospital (CCH, 彰化基督教醫院) officials on Wednesday (April 23). The teenager's coma index has improved from 3 to 8, though he remains in critical condition in intensive care.
CCH Spokesperson Chang Shang-wen (張尚文) confirmed that medical staff will continue intensive monitoring and treatment protocols for the injured teen. The accident occurred Tuesday during a school-organized cycling event in rural Changhua County when a vehicle driven by a man identified only as Hsiao collided head-on with the student group. The crash injured seven students and the driver himself.
The collision occurred at 10:43 a.m. on the northbound lane of Zhangshui Road in Pitou Township (埤頭鄉), a rural district in central Taiwan. Medical authorities distributed the injured students among three local medical facilities: Erlin Christian Hospital, Beitou Hospital, and Changhua Hospital, while the driver received treatment at Yunlin Christian Hospital. The critically injured 15-year-old, suffering from severe head trauma, required specialized emergency care at CCH.
Police investigators determined that Hsiao, who works as an air conditioning repairman, may have been operating his vehicle while fatigued. Despite testing negative for alcohol, authorities arrested him on suspicion of negligent injury. According to police reports, Hsiao initially contacted authorities after the accident but temporarily disappeared before claiming he had been distracted while reaching for an item inside his vehicle. ★
