Alzheimer's Patient Found Dead on Parked Bus in Taiwan After Three Days
An elderly Alzheimer's patient in Taiwan was found dead on a city bus after being locked inside the depot for three days due to driver negligence.
A severe public outcry has erupted in Taiwan following a grave negligence incident in the public transportation system, in which a man in his 60s suffering from Alzheimer's disease was found dead inside a city bus that remained parked in a company depot for three consecutive days without anyone noticing.
Following the tragedy, the Taipei City Public Transportation Office imposed a fine on the operating company and ordered the immediate suspension of the driver. The company announced that the vehicle has been taken out of service for thorough cleaning and that they intend to hold traditional rituals to calm the spirits of passengers, according to TVBS.
Three Days in the Depot During the Holiday
According to a police investigation, the deceased, identified by his surname Gao, boarded the bus in Xindian District on the evening of September 24 and did not get off at any stop. When the driver arrived at the terminal around 10:30 PM, he assumed the vehicle was empty. Security footage reviewed later revealed that the driver only glanced briefly toward the rear of the bus while closing the doors, failing to walk down the aisle for a thorough inspection as required by safety regulations.
The bus remained locked and out of service throughout the entire Mid-Autumn Festival weekend, and the failure was only exposed three days later when the same driver put the vehicle back into active service.
About 10 minutes into the journey, as he picked up the first passengers at the Xindian metro station, one of the passengers noticed Gao's body lying on the floor between the disabled seating area and the partition, and quickly alerted the crew and police. Medical teams called to the scene pronounced Gao dead on site. Initial examinations showed no signs of violence or struggle, and the local prosecutor launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of death.
Broader Safety Concerns Across Asia
Gao lived with his 80-year-old father in Shenkeng District, while his wife and son live in mainland China. The father, who arrived in tears to identify his son's body, said that due to his Alzheimer's disease, he believes his son got confused on his way home, boarded the wrong bus, and became trapped inside.
The incident in Taiwan has brought a piercing public debate on safety and scanning procedures in public transportation back to the forefront across Asia, resurfacing a similar case currently being tried in a Hong Kong court where a 33-year-old passenger died of a sudden illness on the upper deck of a bus.
