Blockchain expert Chen Mei-hui tragically passes away in a traffic accident; the driver involved sentenced to 2 years in prison.

Taiwan’s leading expert in blockchain crime investigation, Miffy (Chen Mei-Hui), was involved in a major car accident on the Hsinchu section of the national highway last December and tragically passed away, drawing public attention. Due to her long-term assistance to the police in investigating major money laundering and fraud cases, there was speculation whether the accident was intentionally caused. Recently, the court’s verdict has been issued: the driver involved was sentenced to 2 years and 4 months in prison for negligent homicide, and the judicial authorities determined that this incident was purely due to negligence.

Chen Mei-Hui: Taiwan’s Top Money Laundering Investigation Expert

Chen Mei-Hui is renowned in the field of financial crime. During her tenure as XREX’s Chief Blockchain Financial Crime Investigator, she successfully led the fund tracing efforts in several major cases. With her professional blockchain knowledge and sharp investigative skills, she assisted the police in cracking numerous high-profile money laundering cases, including the sensational “88 Club Money Laundering Case,” the illegal fund flow investigation of “Creative Private,” and the complex laundering techniques of “Godfather of Money Laundering” Tu Cheng-Wen. Her work not only froze illegal assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars but also set new standards for financial regulation in Taiwan.

Deadly Collision at Kilometer 77.7 on the National Highway

Before the accident, Chen Mei-Hui was being questioned regarding a leak case involving the Taichung District Prosecutors Office. That day, she was riding an Uber northbound with her boyfriend, who works at the Criminal Investigation Bureau. When they reached the 77.7 km mark on National Highway 1, traffic was heavily congested due to a previous accident, forcing their Uber to stop in the inner lane. Less than an hour later, a 40-year-old driver surnamed Xu, who works in airport shuttle services, drove a SUV at high speed toward them. Due to a bend obstructing visibility and not slowing down in time, the SUV directly collided with the rear of the Uber. The intense impact caused the Uber’s rear to crumple and deform. Chen Mei-Hui, seated in the back, suffered severe injuries including chest and thigh fractures and massive abdominal bleeding. She was rushed to the hospital but unfortunately died. The offending vehicle then continued to crash into four more cars ahead, injuring three others.

Speeding and Safety System Failure

Judicial investigations revealed key details of the incident. The engine and brake systems of the offending vehicle were functioning normally upon inspection, yet an abnormal situation occurred during the accident: the driver neither pressed the brake pedal nor activated the brake lights, and the advanced driver-assistance system (EyeSight), which can intervene automatically in emergencies, was turned off. ETC toll data clearly showed that the driver’s speed before the accident was approximately 106 to 108 km/h, while the legal speed limit on that section was only 100 km/h, constituting a clear speeding violation.

Court Ruling: Professional Driver Failed to Exercise Due Caution

The court found that Xu, as a professional small vehicle driver, should have maintained a high level of traffic vigilance at all times and taken immediate measures to slow down when potential dangers appeared ahead. However, he failed to take any precautions, ultimately causing a tragedy with 1 death and 3 injuries. During the investigation, the driver did not reach a settlement with Chen Mei-Hui’s family nor with the other three injured parties. Nonetheless, considering that the driver admitted to the offense and had no prior criminal record, the court sentenced him to 2 years and 4 months in prison for negligent homicide. The case remains appealable. Chen Mei-Hui’s sudden passing not only robbed Taiwan of an outstanding financial crime expert but also served as a stark reminder of the importance of traffic safety.