Two foreign visitors to Hong Kong were arrested after allegedly stealing a taxi and crashing it in Central on Saturday. At 4am, after a 26-year-old South African and a 28-year-old Portuguese citizen spent an evening in Lan Kwai Fong, the city’s nightlife hot spot, the two men, apparently drunk, went to D’Aguilar Street and got into a taxi, Sing Tao Daily reported.
The pair told the 53-year-old taxi driver they wanted to go to Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Kowloon Bay and asked what the fare would be.
The driver said the fare would be around HK$100 (US$12.75). Saying they did not have enough money, the men asked the driver to take them to the nearest automated teller machine.
When the taxi stopped at 39 Des Voeux Road Central, the Portuguese man got out, but his South African companion was apparently sleeping in the back seat of the cab.
When the Portuguese man had still not returned after five minutes, the driver also got out of the taxi. After he did so, the South African passenger got into the driver’s seat, and his friend jumped in as well. The pair drove off down Morrison Street, but crashed into another taxi.
The driver of the stolen cab called the police, and officers arrested the two foreigners on Connaught Road West.
A breathalyzer test allegedly found that the South African driver was over the blood-alcohol limit.
Police said the South African was arrested for drunk driving, unauthorized taking of a vehicle, making off without payment and not stopping after an accident, Ta Kung Pao reported.
The Portuguese man was arrested for aiding and abetting the unauthorized taking of a vehicle and for making off without payment.
What is the identity of the South African citizen ?