Hong Kong legislator William Wong Kam-fai has issued a public apology following his arrest on suspicion of drink-driving, careless driving, and failing to stop and report an accident after a collision involving his vehicle on the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) campus.
The incident occurred shortly before 11 p.m. on Monday near a staff residence on CUHK’s campus, where Wong, an associate dean at the university’s engineering faculty, reportedly lost control of his car. His vehicle struck a parked car, which in turn was pushed into another stationary vehicle. After the initial collision, Wong allegedly left the scene and parked his car near a different staff residence. The incident was reported by a security guard about 30 minutes later. Wong subsequently returned and underwent a breathalyser test, which he failed. No injuries were reported in the crash, though damage was sustained to all three vehicles involved.
Wong was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving, careless driving, and failure to stop and report an accident. He has since been granted bail and is expected to return to police in late July. In a statement posted on social media, Wong expressed regret for the incident, apologizing for the inconvenience caused to the Legislative Council, CUHK, and other parties. He affirmed his intention to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigations conducted by police and relevant government departments.
In response, CUHK acknowledged Wong’s arrest but declined to provide further comments as the matter remains under police investigation. Efforts to obtain remarks from Legislative Council President Starry Lee Wai-king were also unsuccessful.
Wong attended an official reception yesterday marking the 29th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China. He was first elected to the Legislative Council in a 2022 by-election representing the Election Committee constituency and secured re-election in the December 2022 general poll. Wong is also a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, China’s foremost political advisory body.
Under Hong Kong law, penalties for drink-driving include a fine of up to HK$25,000 and imprisonment of up to three years. Careless driving may result in a fine up to HK$5,000 and six months’ imprisonment. Failing to stop after an accident can incur a fine up to HK$10,000 and one year imprisonment, while failure to report an accident carries a maximum HK$25,000 fine and six months in jail. The Basic Law stipulates that legislators sentenced to imprisonment of one month or longer for criminal offenses may face disqualification if a two-thirds majority in the Legislative Council passes a motion calling for removal.