On the afternoon of May 22, a traffic accident occurred in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China. A white sedan suddenly accelerated towards vehicles and pedestrians on the opposite lane as it approached an intersection, causing at least 7 injuries.
The scene was chaotic, with several electric bikes overturned, a severely damaged bicycle, and multiple people lying on the ground, one of whom had a toe severed with only a small piece of flesh connecting it, a horrifying sight.
According to the video footage released, the incident took place at the intersection of Qinglongsi in the Yanta district of Xi’an, where the vehicle involved was identified as a white Tesla. Dashcam footage circulating online showed the white Tesla accelerating towards the intersection from the far right lane of the road, then colliding with vehicles and pedestrians on the opposite lane.
A witness who posted online claimed that the vehicle involved, coming from behind a bus, sped out at over 80 yards per hour, hitting several electric bikes on the safety island, then crashing into two vehicles on the opposite side before coming to a stop. The witness also mentioned that “at least 20+ people were hit.”
Around 8 p.m. that evening, a reporter from Red Star News observed multiple broken barriers and damaged tiles at the intersection, with several traffic police and urban management officers present. Although the road had been cleaned up, remnants of broken glass were still visible on the ground.
One of the injured victims, who was taken to the Ninth Hospital of Xi’an, mentioned that his car was rear-ended, but he was unsure how the white vehicle collided with his.
Another injured victim, named Lei, 28 years old, underwent surgery at the Shaanxi Armed Police General Hospital, according to their family. Lei was riding a shared bicycle across the street when he was unfortunately struck by the white vehicle.
By around 11 p.m., after Lei’s surgery was successfully completed, he had regained consciousness but his face was slightly swollen, and his legs were wrapped in thick bandages.
Following the incident, the Traffic Management Brigade of the Xi’an Public Security Bureau reported that around 6:40 p.m. on the 22nd, a road traffic accident occurred at the northwest corner of Yanxiang Road and Xiyin Road in Xi’an. The driver, Ms. Liu, 62 years old, was driving a small sedan and, due to “improper operation,” collided with roadside barriers, vehicles, and pedestrians, causing damage to 3 motor vehicles and 3 non-motor vehicles, as well as injuries to 7 individuals of varying degrees. The injured have been hospitalized for treatment, and suspicions of drunk or drugged driving on the part of Ms. Liu have been preliminarily ruled out.
Given the Communist Party’s tendency to conceal factual information, the actual number of casualties and the cause of the accident remain unclear.