Feature: Alert driver saves dozens of lives in China bridge collapse

XI'AN, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Xia Hui has always been a cautious driver. So when he saw the taillight of a car disappear in front of him, he immediately pressed on the brake -- a reaction that saved his life and the lives of dozens of others.

It was a rainy Friday night in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, and the visibility was poor. Ahead of Xia, a highway bridge had collapsed, in an accident that would leave dozens of people either dead or missing. The casualties would have been higher if Xia and his wife Xu Xian had not stopped the traffic, preventing more than 20 other vehicles heading into danger.

Xia, a 50-year-old man at a Guangzhou-based company, was driving from Xianyang to Wuhan to visit a hospitalized family member. He had stayed in the slow lane as he usually drives slowly, he told Xinhua in an interview.

Around 9 p.m., a white sedan overtook their car. "I saw its taillight tilt upward and then vanish. I knew something was wrong and pressed on the brake. I braked hard when the taillight of another black sedan also disappeared in front of me."

Xia's car stopped only five or six meters before the site of the collapse.

According to authorities, more than 20 vehicles plunged into the Jinqian River after a 40-meter section of the No. 2 Bridge in Yanping Village came down at about 8:40 p.m. Friday, following a flash flood triggered by a heavy rainstorm.

As of Sunday evening, rescue workers had found the bodies of 15 victims, while 2,230 professional rescuers have been sent to search for the missing.

After noticing the danger, Xu dialed the police while Xia tried to stop other vehicles. He switched on the car's hazard warning lights, placed a warning triangle in the road and waved frantically to the approaching drivers.

To his dismay, four vehicles passed without stopping.

Xia then pulled out his strong flashlight and waved and shouted to approaching drivers. This tactic worked.

"The first car that stopped contained a couple and their young daughter. They kept thanking me after realizing what happened, but I didn't say much as I was busy intercepting other vehicles," Xia said.

When the traffic police arrived at the site half an hour later, Xia had stopped more than 20 vehicles, which helped block the road.

"All the cars switched on their hazard warning lights and formed a belt of light that no one could ignore," said Ren Xinquan, a driver who was stopped by Xia.

The couple said their only regret was the four cars they failed to stop.

"We just couldn't stop thinking about it. We wish he had been able to save more lives," said Xu. "But I told Xia that my life, and lives of many others were saved, all thanks to his habit of cautious driving." ■