Driver's inaction blamed for crash killing 17

FUZHOU - An initial probe into a deadly road crash in East China this week revealed that the driver did not take any action to stop the long-distance coach plunging into a deep ravine, killing 17 people, police investigators said Friday.

The coach, traveling on an expressway viaduct at night and in rain, first hit the barrier and then "rode" on it, sliding more than 20 meters before falling into the 30-meter deep ravine in Fujian province on Wednesday, investigators said.

A bus fell into a ravine while traveling on an expressway viaduct in rain, in East China's Fujian province, June 20, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]

It appeared that the driver did not hit the brake and allowed the coach to slide free for a long distance before plunging, said Zhou Shaohong, a traffic police officer of Ningde city who took part in the probe.

"It is shocking that the driver did not do anything after the coach hit the barrier," said Song Qingzhu, an official with the provincial highway safety bureau. The driver was killed in the accident.

Zhou said the initial probe indicated that the driver and the transport company were responsible for the crash. The investigation will continue, he said.

The sleeper coach was on its way from the city of Xiamen in Fujian to Wuxi in Jiangsu province.  It was operated by Xiamen Fangyang Passenger Transport Co Ltd and was carrying 45 passengers at the time. Three people remain critically injured, officials said.

China's road accidents cause about 70,000 deaths and 300,000 injuries each year, according to the Ministry of Public Security, blaming most accidents on speeding, fatigue, drunk driving and poor road conditions.