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Taiwan’s leading expert in blockchain crime investigation, Chen Mei-Hui (Miffy), was involved in a major traffic accident on the Hsinchu section of the national highway last December and tragically passed away, drawing public attention. Due to Chen Mei-Hui’s long-term assistance to the police in investigating major money laundering and fraud cases, there was speculation whether the accident concealed other motives. Recently, the court’s verdict has been announced: the driver involved was sentenced to 2 years and 4 months in prison for causing death by negligence. 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 Chief Blockchain Financial Crime Investigator at XREX, she successfully led the tracking of funds in several major cases. With her professional knowledge of blockchain technology and sharp investigative skills, she assisted the police in cracking numerous shocking 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. Chen Mei-Hui’s work not only froze illegal assets worth hundreds of millions of NT dollars but also set new standards for financial regulation in Taiwan.

Deadly Collision at 77.7 km 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 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 backed up 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 the view 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 fractured chest and thigh bones, and massive abdominal bleeding. She was rushed to hospital but unfortunately died. The offending vehicle then continued to crash into four vehicles ahead, injuring three more people.

Speeding and Safety System Failure

Judicial investigations revealed key details of the incident. The engine and brake systems of the vehicle were inspected and found to be functioning normally, yet abnormal conditions occurred during the accident: the driver did not step on the brake pedal, and the brake lights did not turn on. The vehicle’s advanced driver-assistance system, EyeSight (which can automatically intervene in emergencies), was found to be turned off. ETC toll records clearly showed that the driver’s speed in the section 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 Verdict: Professional Driver Failed to Exercise Due Caution

The court held that, as a professional driver of a small passenger vehicle, Xu should have maintained high traffic vigilance at all times and taken immediate measures to reduce speed when facing potential danger. 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 from the start and had no prior criminal record, the court sentenced him to 2 years and 4 months in prison for causing death by negligence. 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.