On the afternoon of May 10th, a white Mercedes-Benz suddenly veered towards pedestrians and vehicles waiting at the Tanjiawan intersection in Qianjiang District of Chongqing, causing at least 2 deaths and 6 injuries.
A circulated video showed a white sedan coming out of a parking lot, accelerating swiftly on the road, swerving left and right, hitting the roadside curb at one point, and then rushing towards pedestrians and vehicles at an intersection, striking multiple people.
The video depicted adults and children lying on the ground, chaos on the road, and the car finally coming to a stop after climbing onto the sidewalk. A woman driver wearing high heels emerged from the vehicle. After the video went viral online, netizens criticized, “She is a real road killer.”
Public information shows that Qianjiang is located in the southeastern center of Chongqing, designated as a central city in the Yuxiexiangqian border area by the Chongqing Municipal Party Committee and Government.
According to a local merchant on the scene, the incident occurred during lunchtime, with many pedestrians waiting at the intersection for the traffic lights. The vehicle hit several pedestrians, causing multiple injuries. The area was subsequently cordoned off by the authorities.
Another merchant mentioned that the vehicle also hit an electric scooter in motion, and by the afternoon, the scene had been cleaned up and traffic had resumed.
In the evening, the official Weibo account of the Qianjiang District Branch of the Chongqing Public Security Bureau announced that around 1:40 pm on the 10th, a 57-year-old woman named He driving a sedan collided with vehicles and pedestrians at the Tanjiawan intersection due to “improper operation”, resulting in 2 deaths and 6 injuries. It was stated that there was no suspicion of drunk driving by He and the accident is under further investigation.
The announcement sparked discussions among netizens. Some lamented, “Oh…another case of improper operation!” Others noted that the vehicle’s behavior seemed off before the incident, as it veered out uncontrollably after a turn. Some even speculated, “Could it have been intentional?”
Local netizens disclosed that before the incident, He had difficulty maneuvering her car near the South China City Water Plant bank, receiving directions from several individuals before speeding towards Tanjiawan. People near South China City moved aside, and it was the individuals waiting at the Tanjiawan intersection for the traffic lights who were hit.
Some netizens revealed that He is the Chief Physician of the Cardiovascular Department at Qianjiang Central Hospital. Subsequently, local netizens claimed that He’s husband is a vice president at a certain power company and they are well-off. Based on the Mercedes-Benz wheel hub, it was estimated that He drove a Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W213), valued around 400,000 RMB.
However, as of now, these information has not been officially confirmed.