The chairman of Hualien Ami Mochi’s car fell off a bridge and was sent to the hospital where he died.

A car accident occurred near Daoguanglong Bridge in County 193, Xincheng Township, Hualien County. Yu Guoji, chairman of Zongtai Food Group, drove his car through the guardrail on the right side of the road, fell straight into the river bank under the Guanglong Bridge and overturned.

Yu Guoji, chairman of Zongtai Food Group, which has been deeply involved in Huadong for decades and owns multiple iconic brands, was driving a black Mercedes car northward along the old County Road 193 at around 3:30 pm today (25th). When passing through the Guanglong Bridge section of Xincheng Township, the vehicle suddenly lost control for unknown reasons, broke through the guardrail on the right side of the road, fell straight into the river bank under the Guanglong Bridge, and overturned. After receiving the report, the police dispatched rescue personnel and destroyed the roof of the car to rescue Yu Nan who was trapped in the car. However, Yu Nan had no breathing and heartbeat at the scene. He was rushed to Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital for rescue efforts. Unfortunately, he was pronounced dead in the afternoon at the age of 64.

Zongtai Food Group is a well-known souvenir company in the Huadong area. It has been deeply involved in the local area for more than half a century and is committed to combining local culture, agricultural products and dietary characteristics. It operates Ami Mochi (Ami Millet Cultural Center), Seven-Star Bonito Museum, Digengwei-Wanweifan Paradise, and Taitung Ami Sakyamuni Mochi Museum. It displays and sells Huadong agricultural products and promotes local food culture.

The Hualien County Fire Department pointed out that it received an emergency report from the public at about 3:35 this afternoon, indicating that a serious car accident occurred at 3.9 kilometers of County Road 193 in Xincheng Township and the Guanglong Bridge section. A black Mercedes-Benz broke through the guardrail and fell into the river bank under the bridge. The Fire Department immediately dispatched 18 personnel in 5 vehicles to the scene, and the special search team dispatched a rescue equipment vehicle to conduct hoisting rescue. After the rescuers arrived, they quickly destroyed the roof of the car and rescued the trapped driver surnamed Yu at about 4:30 p.m. At that time, Yu Nan had no signs of life. After the rescuers performed CPR on the scene, he was sent by ambulance to Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital for emergency treatment. However, he was still pronounced dead because of his injuries.

Yu Guoji is a very representative entrepreneur in Hualien. In addition to serving as the chairman of the food group, he also served as the honorary chairman of the Friends of the Hualien County Police Department. Yu Guoji has been deeply involved in Huadong for many years. He has built a number of Hualien famous product brands and popular tourist stores across Taiwan. He has long promoted the integration of local agricultural specialties and the transformation of tourism culture. He can be regarded as an important promoter of the booming development of Hualien's tourism industry.

After the Xincheng Police Station received the report, in addition to implementing traffic control at the scene, forensic personnel also completed on-site evidence collection. The police stated that they have started to review the intersection surveillance cameras around Guanglong Bridge and the driving recorders of the vehicles involved in the incident to clarify the speed and driving conditions at the time. The detailed cause of the accident and whether there was any sudden physical discomfort are still pending further investigation by the police.