According to Taiwan's "Lianhe Bao" on August 20, the Taiwan Railway 655 train "Juguang" train, which was preparing to go to Taipei via Hualien in Taitung, accidentally hit and killed four scalpers walking on the railway at 11:55 p.m. on the 19th, causing the train to be delayed. The owner of the scalper will be sent by the Taiwan police to the Taitung District Prosecutor's Office for investigation on suspicion of endangering public safety.
Scalpers who were killed. Photo courtesy of Taiwan's Lianhe Pao/Taiwan Railways
Because some people in Taitung will herd cattle near their residences, these cattle accidentally walk on the tracks and are killed by trains, which is the second time in Taitung that a train has hit a cow in the past year and five months. At 9:10 a.m. on March 17, 2017, a 4621 train from Taitung to Hualien hit and killed six scalpers who had mistakenly boarded the railway on the Section of the Huadong Line from Shanli to Luyejian on the Taiwan Railway Huadong Line.
After the incident this year, the Taiwan Railway pointed out on August 20 that the driver surnamed Liu of the "Juguang" reported that at 23:55 on the 19th, the train hit 4 scalpers, and no scalper owners were found at the scene.
At about 3:00 a.m. on the 20th, the Taiwan Railway Police assisted in finding the cattle breeder surnamed Chen, and after investigation of the accident site, it was confirmed that the cattle that were killed were owned by Chen. The Taitung Branch of the Taiwan Railway Police said that it would wait for Chen to explain the case and send a letter to the Taitung District Prosecutor's Office for investigation on suspicion of endangering public safety.