Pedestrians are tempted to dash across the road, rather than use the pedestrian footbridge, now that railings have been removed. A taxi driver drove into a pedestrian here early on 22 June, killing him (photo: Google)

A 40-year-old man, Mr Mak, died crossing Castle Peak Road in Tsuen Wan in the early hours of yesterday (22 June). A Tuen Mun-bound taxi, driven by Mr Wong, 58, knocked Mak down just ahead of a pedestrian bridge at around 1.09am. Ambulance crews rushed Mak, unconscious and with severe head and leg injuries, to Princess Margaret hospital, where he died at 8:47am.

Police arrested Wong for dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm. Investigation by the Special Investigation Team of Traffic, New Territories South is underway. Police urge anyone who witnessed the accident or has any information to contact the investigating officers on 3661 1300 or 3661 1446.

The government had previously removed many safety railings along that section of Castle Peak Road, in response to protests and riots in the district last year which saw protestors using railing segments as weapons or barricades. The absence of railings makes dashing across the road an easier choice than climbing the few pedestrian footbridges across the road – there are no at-grade pedestrian crossings in the vicinity. Police would not speculate on why Mak did not use the pedestrian bridge.

572 people have been killed or seriously injured on Hong Kong’s roads in the first five months of this year, an average of 3.8 per day. Pedestrians accounted for 50% of the road deaths in Hong Kong in 2019.