A 60-year-old man was found dead inside a city bus in Taiwan three days after he boarded it, according to the Taiwanese news agency CNA. The driver returned the bus to the depot without completing a check of the passenger compartment and put it back into service after a long weekend.
Police say the man boarded on September 24 at 8:40 p.m. at the Chingtan parking lot stop in Xindian. The bus returned to the depot at 10:30 p.m., and the passenger remained inside.
The bus sat in the depot until Sunday morning. At 6:45 a.m. it left for another run, and ten minutes later one of the passengers noticed a man lying in the back section. The driver called police and rescue teams, who pronounced him dead at the scene.
An initial examination found no signs of trauma, and police ruled out foul play at this stage. The prosecutor's office ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
The bus company announced that the driver has been suspended for failing to carry out the procedure for clearing and checking the bus. The city's transport authority fined the company 30,000 Taiwan dollars, about $944 U.S. The driver was questioned on suspicion of causing death by negligence and released on bail of 50,000 Taiwan dollars.
According to local media reports, the deceased's 88-year-old father came to identify his son. The father said his son had been dealing with Alzheimer's and estimated that he became confused on his way and boarded the wrong line.
The bus company said the driver looked back before closing the doors but did not notice the passenger. The company announced it has cleaned and disinfected the bus and is strengthening driver training.
