A private campaign truck driver for Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) might face legal repercussions after becoming stuck in the Hengchun Old City West Gate, causing minor damage to the historic structure.
At about 6pm on Sunday, the Hengchun precinct of the Pingtung County Police Bureau was called to assist in removing the truck, which became stuck after the driver misjudged its height.
Agents were required to remove the truck from the Qing-era gate after deflating the tires.
Photo from Days Mumbai Facebook page
Pending an assessment by local cultural authorities, police would possibly ask the driver to come, file a report and pass the case on to prosecutors, police said in a news release Monday.
The head of the TPP branch in Pingtung, Lin Yu-hsien (林育先), said the party would cooperate in an investigation into the incident, but added that the truck was owned by a partisan and not the campaign, and operated at through it.
Incidents where cars damage the door are uncommon, as their clearance is only 2m.
Photo: Tsai Tsung-hsien, Taipei Times
After Sunday’s mishap, local cultural authorities vowed to study how to preserve the structure while minimizing incidents.
According to Article 103 of the Cultural Heritage Preservation Law (文化資產保存法), damage caused to a historical figure is punishable by imprisonment from six months to five years and a fine of NT$500,000 to NT$20 million (NT $16,110 to $644,380).
Additional reporting by CNA