A speeding taxi driver who ran a series of red lights trying to rush a heavily pregnant woman to hospital may face fines and have his licence endorsed, state media said on Thursday.
Gao Haijun jumped several red lights on Sunday after an anxious couple asked him to take them to the closest delivery ward, about half an hour away, the China Daily said.
”The woman was crying so loud in my car that I could hardly give a second thought but drive on,” said Gao.
On arriving at the hospital, Gao noticed the woman had delivered the baby in the cab during the mad dash.
He is now trying to find the couple to prove his reasons for violating traffic laws, but they left the hospital with the baby that same day, leaving no contact details.
Desperate to be cleared, Gao contacted local media in the hope of finding them to back up his account.
While Gao was not pulled over by police, cameras on traffic lights may have registered his car. It takes 10 days to process the tapes from the cameras.
Under Beijing’s traffic rules, running a red light carries a fine of 200 yuan (about R135) and three points on a permit. A driver who loses 12 points in one year will have his or her licence suspended.
Beijing traffic officials said that while they will take the special circumstances into consideration, Gao could have avoided the problem by calling an ambulance or a patrol car. — Sapa-AFP