Driver tries to prevent medical rescue

A woman is in custody after lying naked in front of an ambulance that was trying to reach a mother and daughter she is accused of hitting with her car, police said.

The 4-year-old girl later died, family said.

The accident occurred on June 17 when a 36-year-old teacher sped through a residential community street in Linyi, Shandong province, hitting the mother and her daughter on a bike, as well as several cars on the street. 

Video footage online depicted the driver's frantic behavior after her car got stuck in a flower bed, when she desperately tried to stop an ambulance that had rushed to the rescue by lying down naked in front of it. 

Later, as medical staff prepared to leave the scene, she forcibly grabbed the girl from the ambulance and pulled her to the ground. 

Wang Lewen, the girl's uncle, said she died in the hospital and the mother was in a coma.

Wang said the family used to say hello to the driver as they live in neighboring buildings. "We barely knew anything about her, not to mention holding any hatred toward each other," he said. 

Wang said the family decided to put the video on the Internet as they believe more attention will help bring the case to justice. 

The video has already been subject of great attention after being reposted on micro blogs and video-sharing websites. 

Yi Shenghua, a lawyer at Beijing Yingke Law Firm, said a test of the driver's mental state is necessary before the judicial process begins. 

"It is possible that she suffered a mental disorder at that moment as her behavior seems to have gone beyond what a normal person would have done after a traffic accident," Yi said. Yi believed if a test proves the driver had a disorder, she should be given a lighter punishment, otherwise she could face severe penalties for murder. 

"The traffic accident might be one act of killing by mistake. But trying to interrupt rescue efforts is an act that tries to deprive others of life," Yi said. 

An official from the local police, who only gave his name as Chen, said an investigation is ongoing.