The driver of the tour bus that caught fire on July 19, killing an entire party of Chinese tourists, had been convicted of the sexual assault of a tour guide just weeks before the tragedy. That’s according to a report in the local Taipei Times on Sunday.
Investigators are looking into the possibility that the horrific incident, until now seen as a tragic accident, may be a case of a murder-suicide on the part of the driver. Earlier this week it emerged that the driver, who has now been named as 53-year-old Su Ming-cheng, was driving while several times over the legal alcohol limit at the time of the incident. Investigators have also established that Su had five large plastic bottles of gasoline on board the bus. This has prompted speculation that he may have deliberately started the blaze that claimed the lives of all 26 people on board, including himself.
The Taipei Times reported that Su had had his appeal against a sexual assault conviction rejected last month. He was scheduled to drive a tour party from Dalian in northeast China around Taiwan between July 12 and July 19. This was his first shift since his conviction was upheld for the sexual assault of a tour guide in Hualien in 2013.
There have also been allegations made by fellow drivers that Su had been known to frequently complain of long working hours and low pay.
The investigation continues.