Hit-and-run truck driver stands trial for murder
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A Chinese driver who killed four teenage students in a hit-and-run accident last year has been tried for murder in his home province of Shaanxi in northwest China, local court officials said Thursday.
Wang Shuangwa, 42, stood trial at the Intermediate People's Court of Xi'an, the provincial capital, Wednesday but the court is yet to hand down a ruling.
Wang's fully-loaded truck hit five students on their way to school in Chang'an District in the suburbs of Xi'an early in the morning on Feb. 10, 2009. Wang claimed he had dozed off and did not notice the collision.
However the prosecution said Wang was aware of the accident and instead of checking the victims, he fled the scene and destroyed all evidence of his crime by changing the tires and cleaning up the blood off the vehicle.
Four of the students, aged from 13 to 15, died and another was seriously injured.
Wang's son, who was 17 when the accident happened, was also in the truck and helped destroy the evidence, according to the prosecution.
Upon hearing the news, Wang's wife gave him some money and encouraged him to flee.
Wang planned to escape to Xinjiang in the far west, but scared of the massive manhunt by police, he surrendered himself five days after the accident.
His wife and son stood trial with him Wednesday on charges of aiding and abetting the crime.
