Driver in death crash was not on drugs, police confirm

The force of impact destroyed the front end of the Mazda involved in the accident. [Photo/IC]

A driver involved in a fatal accident was not on drugs and powder found in his car was corn flour rather than methamphetamine, the Nanjing-based Yangtse Evening Post reported on Monday.

His BMW hit a Mazda when it tried to run a red light at a road crossing in Nanjing on Saturday, killing both the driver and passenger in the Mazda. The BMW driver ran away but was later caught, according to police.

Earlier reports said the suspect had no driver's license or vehicle license and police had found methamphetamine in his car.

A further statement by Nanjing police on Sunday confirmed that the driver, 35-year-old Wang Jijin, held a valid driver's license and had not been taking drugs. The BMW had been given to him as payment for a debt by the car's owner.

DNA testing confirmed that the man detained was the BMW driver who had left blood in the car due to the accident, dispelling rumors that he was a scapegoat, the report said.

Wang was scared and became emotional after police found him, which explained why he smashed his head against a wall at the police station, according to the report. The police said they had to place a helmet on him as a precaution.

Further investigations are under way.