Motorcycle driver killed after clashing with passenger using cellphone

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Most of the time it is pedestrians that are the victims of traffic accidents. However, a recent road collision in China proved that a pedestrian can also be the main cause of an accident.

A female pedestrian in south China's Guangdong Province was recently sentenced to 10 months in prison by local prosecutors for causing the death of a motorcycle driver. She was captured clashing with the driver when she crossed the street while the traffic light was green and she was staring at her mobile phone.

The female pedestrian was captured staring at her mobile phone while crossing the street. /Gif from Weibo

The court ruled out that the woman surnamed Hu, who crossed the street while using her mobile phone, was responsible for the main cause of the accident according to the country's road safety law, and was required to compensate the victim's family 200,000 yuan (29,251 U.S. dollars).

Surveillance video footage showed that the woman in Zhongshan City was so engrossed in her mobile phone that she didn't notice the oncoming motorcycle while she crossed the road which resulted in the tragedy on May 27 last year. The driver, surnamed Zhang, fell from the motorcycle and hit his head on the ground when he tried to avoid clashing with the jaywalker.

The woman clashed with the oncoming motorcycle in the middle of the street. /Gif from Weibo

The motorcycle driver was later sent to the local hospital and confirmed dead due to severe head injuries. The woman also suffered from severe physical injuries and received treatment in the hospital.

According to the local prosecutor, the woman violated the country's road safety law by not complying with the indicator light while crossing the street and thus led to the accident. Although she also suffered from severe injuries, she was still responsible for causing the accident and should be given a criminal sentence, said local prosecutors citing from Chongqing Evening News.

The motorcycle driver was sent to the local hospital for medical treatment but was later confirmed dead due to severe head injuries. /Chongqing Evening News Photo

Non-traffic personnel can also be the subject of crime in traffic accidents, according to the country's Interpretation of the Supreme People's Court on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in the Trial of Cases on Traffic Accidents.

Nowadays, mobile phones have become inseparable devices in people's daily lives and some pedestrians and drivers even keep checking their phones frequently while they cross the street or drive a car, which has led to the growth of traffic accidents caused by electronic devices.

Honolulu, the largest city in Hawaii, the U.S., issued a ban on using mobile phones while crossing the street starting October 25, 2017. Pedestrians caught crossing the street while staring at their phones could face a fine of up to 99 U.S. dollars. The law was put in place to prevent distracted people from blundering into traffic.

China introduced a regulation banning drivers from making phone calls while at the wheel , with law-breakers subject to a fine of between 50 yuan (7.81 U.S dollars) and 200 yuan as well as having two points deducted from their licenses.