Didi Driver Detained Over Passenger’s Death

What’s new: A driver with ride hailing company Didi Chuxing Technoogy Co. Ltd. who reportedly caused the death of a passenger after an argument over a phone call has been detained by police, the company said in a statement Monday.

The news first emerged on social media when the cousin of the dead passenger, surnamed Zhang, posted about an incident that happened in the southern city of Fuzhou early Sunday. Zhang and his girlfriend hailed a ride on Didi and asked the driver, surnamed Gao, not to call the registered number that was used by his father, fearing it might wake him up. Zhang blamed the driver for ignoring his message and for calling the number when he arrived at the pick-up spot.

During the argument, the driver kicked the couple out of the car, after which Zhang threw an empty bottle at him. Gao then hit Zhang repeatedly with the car, according to the post.

More details: The dead man’s cousin posted a photo that appeared to be of the crime scene. The photo was later deleted “as requested by police.”

Didi said the local police had detained the driver and assured them that he would “be punished severely in accordance with the law.”

A statement issued on Monday by the local police of Fuzhou’s Changle district said that driver Gao had turned himself in to the police, and that Zhang had died at a local hospital.

Quick Takes are condensed versions of China-related stories for fast news you can use. To read the full Caixin article in Chinese, click here.

Contact reporter Anniek Bao (yunxinbao@caixin.com) and editor Heather Mowbray (heathermowbray@caixin.com)

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