Official sacked for crashing a van into bus

By Pan Xiaoyi and Li Xinran  |   2008-6-20  |     ONLINE EDITION

A TRAFFIC administrator in Anhui Province was sacked for intentionally ramming a van into a bus that injured about 40 passengers due to a business dispute with the owner of the bus, Xinhua news agency reported today.

Zhang Jianhua, a deputy chief at a traffic administration in Mengcheng County, was dismissed after the accident, the report said.

Niu Lizhi, a bus driver who operated a route between Shanghai and Anhui, was asked by his company to cooperate with Zhang on a business venture.

The two bought a bus in February and launched a joint business. However, conflicts between the two occurred and Zhang reportedly had the bus driven away without Niu's agreement.

Niu found the bus with its global positioning system, but the relationship between the men deteriorated.

Zhang hired thugs to drive three vans and block Niu's bus in Mengcheng on May 22, the report said. The thugs claimed they were enforcing the law on Zhang's behalf. Traffic police were called in to diffuse the situation and make sure the bus passengers were freed without harm.

During the next few days, Zhang blocked Niu's buses at an expressway entrance to Mengcheng, forcing Niu to change routes.

On June 13, Zhang's men actually collided with two of Niu's buses. Zhang rammed a van into the right side of a bus, seriously injuring more than 40 passengers on board, the report said.

The Mengcheng traffic administration pledged to carry out a thorough probe, vowing to punish anyone found guilty in the case, the report said.