Taiwan Fugitive Sentenced to 3.5 Years for Driving Stolen Car Onto Train Tracks

A wanted fugitive in Taiwan has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for endangering railway safety after driving a stolen car onto train tracks to evade police. The incident occurred in Keelung City when the man, surnamed Huang, was approached by police for a check late at night. Fearing his fugitive status would be exposed, he drove the stolen vehicle onto a railway crossing and proceeded along the tracks towards Keelung Station.

The car's tires eventually burst, rendering it immobile. Huang then abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) was alerted and dispatched heavy machinery to remove the car from the tracks before any trains arrived, preventing a potentially catastrophic derailment. However, the incident still caused significant delays to multiple train services.

Upon his arrest, Huang admitted to the offense. Prosecutors charged him with obstructing train traffic, a crime carrying a minimum sentence of three years. The court considered the severe danger Huang created, noting that a passing train could have caused a major accident, resulting in derailment and casualties. Despite the TRA's swift action preventing disaster, the judge emphasized the gravity of Huang's actions.

Given Huang's prior criminal record and poor conduct, coupled with his failure to reach a settlement with TRA, the court imposed the sentence of three years and six months for the offense of obstructing train traffic. The court highlighted that Huang's actions, solely to evade police, posed a significant risk to railway safety.

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The court considered that the defendant, solely to evade police inspection, drove onto the railway tracks and abandoned the car with burst tires on the tracks. If a train had passed, it would have been hit by the train, potentially causing derailment, capsizing, and passenger casualties, which would have had a huge impact on train traffic safety.