Man smashes cars to defend pedestrian walkway

LANZHOU, July 13 -- A retired teacher, who sparked nationwide controversy by throwing bricks at cars that ran red lights, Monday defended his actions, saying he was protecting pedestrians.

Yan Zhengping, 74, became an Internet sensation after he lobbed bricks at 14 cars at an intersection over more than three hours Thursday evening, witnessed by many people in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province.

"I know it is illegal, but I had to do it to raise awareness on the safety of pedestrians," said Yan.

Yan acted after a young man was killed on a crosswalk by a speeding motorist in an illegal drag race in the downtown area of the eastern Hangzhou City. The driver has been charged with vehicular manslaughter.

Earlier this month in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, police detained an allegedly drunk driver who lost control of his vehicle, leading to the deaths of five people, including a pregnant woman.

Both accidents have caused widespread public anger at the poor driving seen in many Chinese cities. The police in Lanzhou said six people had been killed on pedestrian walkways in the first six months this year.

Yan said he just wanted to raise awareness and tell motorists to think of pedestrians.

Hundreds of local residents applauded him and two elderly men joined him in throwing bricks, while others found them more bricks and brought them water.

All 14 drivers fled the scene and their damaged cars after seeing the angry crowd.

Police stopped Yan more than three hours after he started. He was interviewed and later released without charge.

Yan quoted his neighbors as saying one of the drivers has come to the neighborhood seeking compensation, but the man failed to find him.

Local police refused to comment on Yan's behavior, but traffic police were stationed at the pedestrian walkway Monday.

Yan has abandoned his plan to attack cars running red light for a week, saying he has successfully drawn the attention of the government and public.

He became a crusader for road safety after a female pedestrian was killed in his community last year.

He successfully lobbied the police for traffic lights at the intersection, but he said motorists still went through the red light.

Internet polls by China's major websites, including sina.com and sohu.com, showed that a majority of netizens supported Yan. Inone poll, 260,000 of 330,000 respondents supported Yan.

Bao Xiaoxia, director of the Institute of Sociology of the Gansu Academy of Social Sciences, said Yan's move was a result of public frustration as "many cities are keen on construction of big projects and neglect the needs of residents, including the need for personal safety."