2019 protests: Taxi driver in HK$8.4m injury lawsuit says he lost control amid attacks by protesters

A taxi driver facing a HK$8.4 million injury lawsuit over ramming into a passerby during the 2019 unrest said protesters were attacking him at the time, causing him to lose control of the vehicle. The taxi after mounting a pavement during a protest on October 6, 2019. Photo: United Social Press. Driver Henry Cheng testified at the High Court on Friday, the fourth day of the hearing, to defend himself against the claim by Park Hoi-lam. Park said she suffered serious injuries to her legs, causing her to undergo multiple operations, after Cheng’s vehicle mounted a pavement and ran into her in Sham Shui Po on October 6, 2019. That afternoon, a government ban imposed days before against the wearing of face masks at demonstrations sparked fresh protests. Speaking on Friday, Cheng described being under attack at the time of the incident, The Witness reported. He said that on both his left and right sides, people were using rods and umbrellas to hit the car’s windows. Hong Kong’s High Court on November 11, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Cheng said protesters managed to open the car’s door, and that people entered the vehicle. “I wasn’t controlling the car, people had come in,” he said, adding that he was protecting his head using his hands. ‘I did not touch the wheel’ Recalling the moment of the collision, Cheng said that three protesters were in the front seats of the car. He said his hands were some distance away from the steering wheel. “When I was getting hit, I used my two hands to protect my head, so I’m very sure I did not touch the wheel,” Cheng said in Cantonese. See also: Hong Kong taxi driver accused of ploughing into protesters to receive HK$520k from pro-Beijing group Susanna Leong, Park’s legal representative, disputed Cheng’s version of the events. She said there was actually no one attacking him, and that it was Cheng himself who turned the wheel to the left and stepped on the gas pedal. Scenes after the taxi mounted a pavement on October 6, 2019. Photo: United Social Press. She said the protesters’ attacks only happened after the collision, and that Cheng’s intention was to break through the roadblocks that protesters had set up. Cheng, however, disagreed. Cheng also told the court that he stayed in hospital for five days after the incident, and that he had suffered injuries to his legs, ribs and chin. Two people were charged over the assault. One of them was sentenced to three years in prison in 2022, but had his jail term increased to four years and one month after the prosecution appealed. Another defendant intended to plead not guilty, but passed away during the course of legal proceedings. ‘Yellow camp’ The hearings began on Tuesday with Park’s testimony, in which she said she did see the taxi at first, only that there was a large crowd of people. It was not until later that she saw the taxi and tried to run away, but the taxi was moving quickly and it then hit her. She said she did not see anybody sitting in the front passenger seat. The Hong Kong Police Force headquarters in Wan Chai. Photo: Candice Chau/HKFP. Park suffered injuries to her legs and had to undergo multiple surgeries. She told the court that her right knee was deteriorating, and that she would have to take a rest after walking for an hour. She also said it was difficult for her to straighten her right knee. She is not able to do activities that she enjoyed before, including outdoor photography and camping. At her job working at a kindergarten, she struggles with tasks like putting away mats due to their heavy weight, she said. Park told the court she had already stopped physiotherapy as it was too expensive. Since her injuries affected her mobility, she frequently takes taxis, which are a considerable expense, she said. Also on Tuesday, Cheng’s lawyer asked if she was “sympathetic to the yellow camp,” pointing out that she was wearing black at the time of the incident. Park paused for a few seconds, then said she was “not biased in either direction but that she did pay attention.” The hearings will resume on August 21 for closing arguments. Safeguard press freedom; keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team Support HKFP | Policies & Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact | Newsletter | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps Make a one-off donation. Hillary Leung is a journalist at Hong Kong Free Press, where she reports on local politics and social issues, and assists with editing. Since joining in late 2021, she has covered the Covid-19 pandemic, political court cases including the 47 democrats national security trial, and challenges faced by minority communities. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Hillary completed her undergraduate degree in journalism and sociology at the University of Hong Kong. She worked at TIME Magazine in 2019, where she wrote about Asia and overnight US news before turning her focus to the protests that began that summer. At Coconuts Hong Kong, she covered general news and wrote features, including about a Black Lives Matter march that drew controversy amid the local pro-democracy movement and two sisters who were born to a domestic worker and lived undocumented for 30 years in Hong Kong. More by Hillary Leung