The aftermath of the crash which killed a 55-year-old pedestrian in Tuen Mun

A former government official was yesterday sentenced to 10 months’ jail in District Court after killing a pedestrian in Tuen Mun last March.

Chan Kit-fong, 48, knocked down Mr Tang, 55, before smashing into a light rail train. Tang was rushed to hospital but succumbed to serious injuries 90 minutes later.

Chan, who then worked at the Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and, according to District Judge Timothy Casewell, 63, had shown remorse.

Casewell banned Chan from driving for five years and ordered her to take a driver training course.

In his findings, Casewell said the accident did not take place at a pedestrian crossing, and victim Tang had not used a footbridge to cross the road.

To use the footbridge requires a lengthy detour through a market

However, investigation of the area shows the footbridge is only accessible through a market, requiring around a 300-metre detour. Pedestrian crossings in the vicinity require around an 80-100 metre detour.

Hong Kong has recently seen a number of deadly crashes involving pedestrians unwilling to make lengthy detours to use footbridges. In November 2020 a 76-year-old woman, Ms Ng, was killed avoiding a footbridge on Queensway, while in December an 87-year-old man, Mr Tsang, was killed under a pedestrian bridge at the edge of the government’s “Walkable Urban Area” pilot zone in Sham Shui Po.