Tai Po Bus Driver Jailed For 14 Years Over Crash

A bus driver has been sentenced to 14 years in jail over a bus crash in Tai Po in 2018 that killed 19 people and injured 60 others.

Chan Ho-ming, 32, had previously pleaded guilty at the High Court to manslaughter and dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm.

His KMB double-decker bus flipped onto its side after making a turn on Tai Po Road on February 10, 2018 as it headed from Sha Tin Racecourse to Tai Po.

The court heard that Chan had braked abruptly three times and then accelerated the vehicle before the crash, ignoring complaints from passengers.

Some passengers had earlier got into an argument with the driver after they scolded him for starting the trip late from Sha Tin.

In mitigation, the defence said that Chan had been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, and that he doesn't know how to accept criticism from others.

But High Court Judge D'Almada Remedios said Chan deliberately drove at high speed as a way of taking revenge against his passengers, and used the bus as a "weapon" to vent his anger.

The judge added that the impact of the crash – on both the survivors and the relatives of the 19 people killed – could never be taken away.

She also revoked all Chan's driving licences for life.