'He has yet to say sorry': 72-year-old alleges hawker knocked him to the ground, leading to hip fracture

Hu, a 72-year-old cabby, wanted to buy sliced fish soup at noon on June 11 but an apparent misunderstanding between him and the hawker ended in a fall.

The taxi driver told Shin Min Daily News that he had his own food container for the soup and requested for his order to be packed in it but was rebutted aggressively.

He also claimed that the hawker swore at him, threw water at him and "raised his fist as if to hit me and knocked me to the ground".

As a result, Hu suffered a hip fracture and needed to undergo a four-hour surgery. He was instructed by the doctor post-surgery to avoid bending down or lifting his feet for a month.

The hawker, Chen, told the Chinese daily on June 18 that Hu did not know what he wanted, so he was told to go buy food elsewhere.

"We just told him to go away, but he lost his balance on one foot and fell down," said Chen, insisting that he did not have physical contact with Hu and that the closed circuit television footage would prove that he was telling the truth.

He said a cook wanted to help Hu and he refused.

"I don't know how much the medical expenses will be," said Hu, who has been a cabby for 14 years.

"I also have to spend money on transportation to see the doctor during this period. I am thinking of asking the other party for compensation for medical expenses, transportation expenses and pay loss. He has yet to say sorry to me."

But Chen pointed out: "My legs are weak, how could I have pushed him? He fell down, how can we be held responsible?"

The police said they received a report of a 72-year-old man being taken to hospital and a 71-year-old man assisting in the investigations.

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This article was first published in The New Paper. Permission required for reproduction.