A man in Beijing’s Chaoyang District recently died after repeatedly falling off his electric bicycle while riding home drunk, crashing six times in 40 minutes before suffering fatal head injuries, People's Daily reported today.
The man, surnamed Feng, had been drinking heavily with three colleagues, consuming two and a half bottles of baijiu and a bottle of beer. Though his coworkers urged him to take a taxi, Feng insisted he could ride his e-bike home.
Traffic-camera footage showed that during the 5.3-kilometer trip, Feng lost control and fell six times. At 11:18pm, he hit a barrier and fell repeatedly along Beiyuan Road. At 11:26pm, he crashed again near Beiyuan Bridge and once more under the bridge. Shortly after midnight, near Shangqing Bridge, he struck a curb, suffered multiple fractures and severe head trauma, and never got up again. His helmet had come off because its strap was not fastened.
Feng was later pronounced dead at the hospital. A blood test showed a blood-alcohol level of 269 mg/100 ml, more than triple China’s drunk-driving threshold of 80 mg/100 ml.
China’s traffic regulations prohibit riding bicycles and e-bikes while intoxicated. Police said drunk cyclists are increasingly being screened during nighttime DUI checks. Those testing between 20 and 80 mg/100 ml receive criticism and education, while riders above 80 mg/100 ml face a 50-yuan (US$7.04) fine for the violation.