TAOYUAN, TAIWAN – A devastating accident on January 25 claimed the lives of a father and three children after the electric vehicle (EV) they were traveling in crashed into a traffic barrier and burst into flames on National Freeway 1 in Taoyuan, north-western Taiwan.
According to the Taoyuan Fire Department, the crash involved a Hyundai Ioniq 5 carrying eight passengers—two adults and six children—on their way to visit family for Lunar New Year celebrations. Firefighters extinguished the blaze and found the 40-year-old driver dead at the scene. Seven passengers were rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Tragically, three children, aged between two and ten, succumbed to their injuries a day later. The driver’s wife remains in a coma, while an eight-year-old boy is intubated and awaiting surgery. Another girl, 11, has been treated for second-degree burns, and a four-year-old girl is reported to be fully conscious.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5, designed for a seating capacity of five, was carrying eight passengers at the time of the crash. The cause of the accident and fire is under investigation. This heartbreaking incident has cast a shadow over the Lunar New Year festivities, highlighting concerns about vehicle safety and overloading.