Driver plunges car into river 10 minutes after passing driving test

GUIZHOU (China): A supposedly triumphant day for a driver in China ended in an accident as a man named Zhang plunged his car into a river 10 minutes after passing his driving test.

The new driver got distracted from reading a message on his phone which caused him to swerve to the left on Laoping Bridge in Guizhou province, Asia Wire reported on March 3.

The sender of the message was apparently congratulating the driver for passing his test.

The white car Zhang was driving was going across the bridge while there were several pedestrians walking, as seen from the video footage cited by the report.

“While I was driving, I tried to grab my phone and read some messages while two people were in front of me on the bridge, ” the driver was quoted as saying. “I became nervous and turned left suddenly.”

Zhang managed to escape by forcibly opening the passenger side’s door after the driver’s side would not budge. As per report, locals helped the driver to safety and gave him dry clothes. The police also helped the driver by arranging to have his car lifted from the river. — Philippine Daily Inquirer