Drink-driving Maserati driver in China crashes into BMW which bursts into flames, killing 2 on board

According to police, the 23-year-old suspect had caused abrasions to several cars with her reckless driving on the night of July 3, before ramming into the back of the BMW that was waiting for the traffic light to turn green, violently thrusting the car metres across the road. PHOTOS: SCREENGRAB FROM YOUTUBE

YONGCHENG - A young woman who was drink-driving in central China was caught on surveillance camera last week crashing her Maserati into a stationary BMW at a traffic junction, causing the German car to burst into flames and killing two people in it.

According to Yongcheng city police in Henan province, the 23-year-old suspect had caused abrasions to several cars with her reckless driving on the night of July 3, before ramming into the back of the BMW that was waiting for the traffic light to turn green, violently thrusting the car metres across the road.

One person in the BMW was injured but two others in the same car died.

Three people in the Maserati, including the driver, survived with injuries.

The driver's blood alcohol level was tested to be 167.66 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of blood, more than twice the legal limit of 80 microgrammes per 100 millilitres.

Police on July 4 charged the Maserati driver and her two passengers for endangering public safety, Beijing Youth Daily reported.

Although police gave the name of the Maserati driver only as Tan, enraged Chinese netizens found the suspect's social media account and identified her as Tan Mingming, whose parents own a donkey-hide gelatin business selling the traditional Chinese medicine.

Photos of Tan flaunting her collection of expensive shoes and lavish lifestyle were very quickly shared on social media. She reportedly shared on Weibo she gets between 10,000 yuan (S$1,977) and 20,000 yuan in allowance each time and claimed that she could have bought a Ferrari luxury car with the money she spent on shoes and bags.

A check by The Straits Times on Monday (July 8) found that most of her photos have been taken down. Her most recent post on July 6 said simply: Drink and don't drive, drive and don't drink.

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