SUV Plows Into Market in China’s Guizhou, Leaving Multiple People Injured

On Aug. 17, a white SUV plowed into a crowded open-air market in southwestern China’s Guizhou Province, striking multiple pedestrians and leaving several people sprawled across the roadway. The incident occurred at around 8:50 a.m. near the exit of the Tianma underground parking garage in Sanjiang Township, Jinping County, part of the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture.

The area was particularly crowded because the crash occurred during a regularly scheduled market day, when residents from surrounding communities gather to shop and sell goods. Chinese authorities have not publicly disclosed the exact number of those killed or injured.

Videos circulating on Chinese social media show multiple men and women lying on the ground around the white SUV, including several middle-aged and elderly women. Some victims appear unable to stand without assistance, while bystanders rush to help.

An elderly woman can be seen sitting on the pavement crying as others tend to the injured. Another woman wearing blue pants appears to be lying near the front-left side of the SUV, while at least two people appear to be trapped underneath the vehicle.

Blood is visible on several areas of the SUV, including near the front, side mirror, and door. The male driver remains seated behind the wheel in footage from the scene as people gather around the vehicle.

Police say vehicle ‘lost control’

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Jinping County police said in an official statement that the driver, identified only by his surname Zhou, is 48 years old. According to the preliminary investigation, Zhou was driving the small SUV near the Tianma underground parking garage exit when the vehicle “lost control” and struck people on the road.

All of the injured were taken to hospitals for treatment and none were in life-threatening condition, police said. Zhou was taken into custody, and authorities said tests ruled out alcohol and drug impairment.

An eyewitness cited by Tide News said the market was particularly busy when the crash occurred. “It was after 8 in the morning. Today happened to be market day, so there were a lot of people. It was a male driver,” the witness said. A nearby merchant also confirmed the incident, saying: “There was indeed an accident this morning. It happened right under the [Qingjiang] Bridge. People were injured, but I don’t know the specifics.”

Netizens point out holes in police account

Despite the official statement, claims circulating on Chinese social media offered a much different account, claiming that as many as seven people were killed and 23 injured. One widely-shared post further claimed that Zhou deliberately drove into the crowd after years of unsuccessful petitioning to authorities. The Chinese government has faced longstanding criticism over limited transparency and the withholding of information following politically sensitive or high-profile incidents.

The police description of the SUV as having “lost control” drew intense skepticism among Chinese netizens. “The main thing is, according to the official notice, not a single person died?” one Guizhou-based user wrote. “What does ‘the vehicle lost control’ mean?” another asked.

Others questioned whether driver error could have been responsible. “Is it so difficult to say the accelerator was mistaken for the brake? Why say it ‘lost control’?” one user wrote.

The Guizhou crash comes amid heightened public sensitivity to vehicles striking crowds following a series of deadly incidents across China. On May 10, a female driver struck pedestrians and vehicles at an intersection in Chongqing’s Qianjiang District, killing two people and injuring six. Police attributed the crash to improper operation of the vehicle.

On April 15, a car struck four electric bicycles in succession in Qinzhou, Guangxi, injuring three people. Police attributed the incident to improper operation by the driver, though videos circulating online claimed the collisions may have been deliberate. On May 1, a driver in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, struck pedestrians before fleeing the scene and subsequently colliding with additional vehicles and pedestrians, killing one person and injuring 11, according to police.