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Girl, 6, dies 10 days after early morning crash

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-05-21 07:52

A 6-year-old girl, whose father was killed and whose mother was seriously injured when their car was hit by another, died in hospital on Wednesday, 10 days after the crash.

On May 9, Chen Weining and his wife, Wang Hui, were taking the older of their twin daughters, Zhuzhu, to hospital. At traffic lights near Jianguomenwai, a man driving an Infiniti, the luxury brand from carmaker Nissan, hit Chen's Fiat at about 5:30 am.

Chen died in hospital the next day. Wang, whose legs, neck and waist were broken, has not been informed of her daughter and husband's death. She is still receiving treatment and her left leg may have to be amputated, Beijing News said.

The Infiniti driver, Chen Jia, fled the scene but was arrested at his home about 10 hours later.

Local newspapers quoted unnamed sources as saying Chen Jia was drinking at a bar in Sanlitun that night.

When Chen Jia was interviewed on Beijing TV, his careless and callous attitude about the crash angered viewers and many started an online hunt for him.

Chen Jia's relatives have raised 130,000 yuan in compensation. A friend of Wang told Beijing News the money is far from enough for Wang's medical treatment alone.

Chen Weining graduated from Tsinghua University and worked as a manager of a multinational company.

"He was a modest, hardworking and energetic guy, and never boasted about his Tsinghua University education," one colleague said. "He was also a good father who cared about his daughters' education and manners."

Wang Hui, a graduate from Peking University, loved dancing and was good at the waltz. The couple met at an intercollegiate dance party.

"Now she has lost almost everything dear to her - her husband, her elder daughter - and she may also lose the ability to dance again," a friend said.

Beijing traffic authority said on Thursday that 338 people were killed in traffic accidents so far this year, 10 more than the same period last year. A total of 35 people were killed in drunken driving and police have arrested 2,031 drunken drivers.

There are 4.3 million cars in Beijing.