Hong Kong police arrest Mercedes-Benz driver over hit-and-run that killed stray cat
- Online clip shows two men exiting car after collision to inspect cat, getting back into vehicle, then hitting it again after making U-turn
The force said on Friday that officers started investigating the case after receiving a report from a 34-year-old villager who found the dead cat on Yuen Long’s Shan Pui Ho East Road at around 8.30am the day before.
A source familiar with the case said dashcam footage from another vehicle showed the cat had been run over by a Mercedes-Benz shortly after 2.30am on Wednesday.
Video posted online showed the driver and his passenger getting out of the car after the accident to inspect the cat, before getting back in the vehicle, making a U-turn and hitting the animal again as they left.
The source said police had contacted the car’s owner, who told them that her husband was driving the vehicle at the time of the incident.
The force said a 29-year-old man was arrested at around 11.40pm on Thursday after surrendering himself to police.
“The driver claimed he did not see the cat on the road,” the insider said, adding the suspect had told police he needed to make a U-turn since he was driving on a cul-de-sac.
The source said the car had been impounded for examination.
Police said the man was detained on suspicion of careless driving, failing to stop after an accident and failing to make a report after a crash.
The suspect was released on bail at around noon on Friday, pending further investigation, the force said. The motorist is required to report back to police next month.
Officers from the New Territories North traffic unit are handling the case.
