Angry at speeding fines, man takes a grinder to a speed camera pole

Angry at speeding fines, man takes a grinder to a speed camera pole

2026-08-13

A 60-year-old man surnamed Yang took a handheld grinder to a speed camera pole on a road in Hsinchu. Then, in a fit of rage, he hacked away at it in the dead of the night. He was allegedly afraid of being caught speeding and angry at all the other speeding tickets he had already accumulated. Police arrived at the scene on Provincial Highway No. 3 after the incident was reported. The man initially claimed he was sawing a tree, but eventually confessed. He’s now facing potential criminal charges. Let’s find out more.

Sparks suddenly fly on the side of the road late at night. Then, a man enters the picture. Upon closer inspection, it turns out that he’s sawing through a speed camera pole. Terrified pedestrians say it’s just too scary.

- What is this?
- A speed camera.
- That’s terrifying!

Police rushed to the scene after receiving a report that someone was suspected of tampering with a speed camera. The speed camera pole had been sawed, with obvious cutting marks. The police then expanded their search and found the culprit, a man surnamed Yang, about 300m away. When questioned by the police, he went as far as to claim-- in deadly earnest -- that he had been sawing a tree.

- I tell you: I was just sawing a tree.
- You were using this saw?
- Yeah, to saw a tree.
- You can use this to saw trees?
- Yes, you can.
- You can use this to saw trees? Trees are so big, is an angle grinder enough?

Police seized an angle grinder from the under-seat storage of his scooter on the spot. Faced with the undeniable evidence, the man had no choice but to confess. Police investigations revealed that the man was from Taoyuan. After borrowing a friend’s heavy motorcycle he then suspected it had been snapped by a speed camera.Fearing the license plate would be suspended and feeling the weight of his own accumulated speeding fines that totaled over NT$100,000, he was pushed over the edge. He borrowed his wife’s scooter, removed the license plate, bought an angle grinder, and, figuring he might as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb, sawed down the hated speed camera to vent his frustration.

Liu Jo-min
Police chief
The entire case will be transferred to the Taiwan Hsinchu District Prosecutors Office for investigation on suspicion of damaging public property. Regarding the property losses caused by the equipment damage, the equipment manufacturer is currently assessing the situation. Once the actual amount is confirmed, this precinct will seek compensation from the party involved in accordance with the law.

Maintenance workers arrived early in the morning to carry out repairs. What started out as an attempt to dodge a speeding ticket ended up with the man getting caught red handed by the police for sawing the speed camera. His impulsive act not only failed to quell his anger, but he may also have to pay compensation and face legal trouble.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#Roadrage #speeding #Taiwanesetraffic #vandalism #Hsinchutraffic

不滿被拍! 持砂輪機切割"測速照相桿" 嫌犯:我在鋸樹

2026-08-13

新竹一名60歲楊姓男子，疑似因為擔心被拍超速吊扣牌照，又不滿自己近半年多次遭開單，竟趁著深夜跑到台3線，拿砂輪機切割固定式測速照相立桿。警方獲報趕到現場，還在附近逮到人，男子第一時間辯稱自己是在鋸樹，最後還是坦承犯案，如今不只涉嫌毀損公物，還得面臨求償與刑責。

深夜馬路旁，突然冒出火花，甚至還有一名男子，仔細一看，這位老兄竟然在鋸測速照相桿，路過民眾嚇壞表示實在太恐怖。

-這什麼?
-測速照相
-太恐怖了吧

警方獲報有人涉嫌破壞測速設備趕到現場，測速桿已經被鋸出明顯切割痕跡，警方隨即擴大搜尋，在附近300公尺，發現了動手的楊姓男子，面對警方詢問，他竟一本正經，說自己在鋸樹。

-我就跟你講我在鋸樹
-你用這個鋸嗎?
-鋸樹啊
-這個可以鋸樹?
-對啊
-這個可以鋸樹?樹那麼粗你用砂輪機可以鋸?

警方當場在他的機車置物箱內查扣砂輪機，眼看證據就在眼前，男子只好坦承犯案。警方調查發現，男子是桃園人，因借朋友重機，疑似遭測速照相，擔心超速被吊扣牌照，再加上自己累積超速，罰款十幾萬，一時氣不過，借了老婆機車，拔了車牌買了砂輪機，一不作二不休，鋸了這個討厭的測速桿洩憤。

[[分隊長劉若旻]]
“全案將依涉嫌毀損公物罪，移送臺灣新竹地方檢察署偵辦。另因設備毀損所造成的財物損失，現由設備廠商評估中，待確認實際金額後，本局將依法向當事人求償。”

維修人員一早到場進行維修，只是原本只是想躲超速違規，自己反倒因為鋸測速桿，被警方逮個正著，一時衝動不但沒能消氣，恐怕還得賠錢，又吃上官司。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

Related News

Miaoli dessert shop offers enormous shaved ice

2026-08-13

People try pan-frying Hakka brown sugar cake

2026-08-13

Trash collector faces jail after taking discarded pots home

2026-08-13

Man with 500 turtles pleads government to take som

2026-08-13

Australian padawan steals lightsaber, embracing dark side

Star Wars enthusiast Makoto Tsai has been making realistic-looking lightsabers for over two decades, but recently he met a Sith lord for the first time. Tsai had lent a friend in Australia a red lightsaber to be used by a group of Star Wars enthusiasts, but one Australian national ended up stealing the lightsaber. The man even broke the Jedi code when he bragged about his act on social media, saying, “Reels blowing up right now, feeling pretty blessed.”

Over in Australia, these two force-sensitive men are swinging and spinning their lightsabers. This scintillating duel features a Jedi versus a Sith lord, who’s the one holding the red lightsaber. After borrowing the laser sword, the blond-haired man refused to give it back and even told famous lightsaber maker Makoto Tsai to send him a private message. The man’s reply to Tsai showed that he’d already embraced the dark side.

The Australian national blocked Tsai and even sent an insidious photo of him giving the middle finger. Tsai is still having a hard time accepting the fate of the stolen lightsaber, which cost NT$11,000 to make.

Makoto Tsai
Famous lightsaber maker
Geez. It’s ridiculous. How can somebody like this even exist? I lent that lightsaber to that group, for anyone there to use. But then, during a gathering, he ended up slyly stealing it, or you could say borrowed it without asking. And then he ends up never coming back. So my friend wanted to get that saber back, and that’s when we realized his lightsaber was taken, that the man insisted on not giving it back.

The social media accounts of the Sith lord with sticky hands got slammed by negative messages, yet the man has clearly embraced the dark side. On Instagram the man wrote, “Reels blowing up right now, feeling pretty blessed,” which clearly broke the Jedi code.

Makoto Tsai
Famous lightsaber maker
He dug in his heels, telling my friend in Australia “Why do I have to give it back to you? You gave it to me.” But this is ridiculous. He even posted a story, in which he said “when you yell at me it makes me happy, because it just increases my reach.” Geez. I’ve never met somebody this shameless.

Tim
Friend of Makoto Tsai
He was an apprentice that I felt had a lot of potential. And he never behaved like that in the past, so all of us had a lot of trust in him.

Makoto Tsai, whose government name is Tsai Jung-chou, is so passionate about the Star Wars universe that he developed a way to make lightsabers that look just like those in the beloved sci-fi series. Star Wars enthusiasts around the world love his lightsabers, which can be customized. They’re also entirely made by hand in a process that takes at least 10 hours. The attention to detail might explain why many of his lightsabers are owned by entertainers, such as Fast & Furious actor Sung Kang, a friend of Tsai who came to Taiwan for Tsai’s marriage registration. But not all lightsaber enthusiasts can resist the dark side, including this Sith lord from Down Under.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#StarWars #lightsaber #darkside #notcoolbro #stickyhands #buydontborrow

2026-08-13

MOFA minister Lin Chia-lung speaks to big group of youth ambassadors

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung carved time out of his schedule to speak to a special group of young people, who are either in this year’s class of International Youth Ambassadors or part of the TaiwanICDF’s first ever group of Campus Youth Ambassadors. These diplomats of tomorrow are about to head abroad to Taiwanese allies, where they’ll get first-hand experiences of diplomacy in action.

Through song and dance, this group of youth ambassadors are demonstrating the vitality of youth.

These musicians playing traditional instruments and singing Hakka hill songs will be going to visit diplomatic allies; also going abroad are TaiwanICDF campus youth ambassadors, who seem to be quite excited about the opportunity.

Yu Ting-hsuan
Campus Youth Ambassador
I started to understand that this opportunity is not only just about going abroad; it’s about meeting people, listening to their stories, understanding their cultures, and seeing how Taiwan and Saint Lucia can connect with one another.

Tsai Wan-yin
Campus Youth Ambassador
To be able to become a campus youth ambassador, representing the TaiwanICDF and going to a diplomatic ally, I feel that this is truly an incredible honor. For me right now, I’m really excited and looking forward to creating brilliant things with the locals there.

This year is a two-part mission, with Palau being the destination of the first batch, who are the first group of Taiwanese youth ambassadors to include experts in drone technology. The second group will be going to Caribbean countries, including Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung waved the Taiwanese flag and presided over the ceremony in which the youth ambassadors were conferred their certificates.

Lin Chia-lung
Foreign minister
First, be confident when you go abroad. You represent Taiwan: a free, democratic, innovative, and open society. Second, be humble: listen carefully, respect different cultures, and learn from the people you meet.

Lin Chia-lung called on the youth ambassadors to exude a spirit in which anyone can be a diplomat, and to showcase the democracy and resilience of Taiwan.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#allies #diplomacyinaction #MOFA #LinChia-lung #TaiwanICDF #youthambassadors

2026-08-13

Brother drills ceiling hole in bizarre escalation of 20-year feud

2026-08-13

Taiwan puts wartime readiness to the test in urban resilience drill

Taiwan is putting its emergency preparedness to the test. The 2026 Urban Resilience Exercises got underway in Northern Taiwan Thursday, simulating everything from the distribution of essential supplies to wartime medical operations. President Lai Ching-te and New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih inspected the drills, which also drew representatives from the US, Israel and Canada. The exercises are aimed at ensuring that even in a crisis, essential government and public services can keep running.

She scans the ID card and checks the list, before putting the supplies in a bag. It’s quick and easy. Northern Taiwan held its urban resilience drill on Thursday, which included an inspection of a supermarket distribution station by President Lai Ching-te and New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih. This year’s exercises are being closely watched by the international community. At the scene was de facto US ambassador Raymond Greene, as well as diplomats from Israel and Canada.

Lai Ching-te
President
Virtue never stands alone. It is bound to have neighbors. We are not alone in facing regional geopolitical challenges. The international community is with us. But we cannot afford to be unprepared. We cannot afford to rely only on outsiders. Each exercise we hold is a boost to our resilience.

Hou Yu-ih
New Taipei Mayor
It’s best to be over-prepared for 100 years without calamity, than to be caught unprepared a single day. Being ready is extremely important.

Officials from the central and local governments learned about civilian supply distribution procedures and oversaw drills to scale back medical services and transfer medical operations underground.

The oncology department on the second basement of Shuang Ho Hospital was turned into a wartime command center, with dedicated areas for pharmacy, surgery and childbirth. Hospital beds were set up in the parking lot one floor below, in case the ground floor is unsafe or if curfew has been imposed.

A blood donation area and a hemodialysis area were set up near the drive aisle, to be used in emergencies. Staff played the role of patients to create a lifelike drill with real patients, objects, sites and scenarios.

Shih Chung-liang
Minister of Health and Welfare
Shuang Ho Hospital is the benchmark. We want to replicate the model here in every hospital in Taiwan.

Local preparedness drills help ensure essential government services can endure wartime and emergencies, making national defense more than just a slogan.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#military #drills #civilians #supermarket #groceries #taiwan #invasion

2026-08-13

Yilan youth band performs in US, charms expats with classic song

The M&Ocean Youth Band from Yilan’s Yue-Ming Elementary and Junior High School consists of 17 young musicians. After raising travel funds through their own performances to go perform in the US, they finally fulfilled their dream in late July by embarking on a 12-day exchange trip to California. When they performed the classic song Longing for the Spring Breeze, three to four hundred overseas Taiwanese came just to see them, and many were moved to tears.

Donning Taiwan baseball jerseys to showcase Taiwanese baseball culture, the M&Ocean Youth Band of 17 students from Yilan’s Yue-Ming Elementary and Junior High School traveled all the way to California to deliver brilliant performances.

By wearing school uniforms and caps while performing national health calisthenics, they awakened childhood memories for many. But the most touching moment was when they performed this song.

Tender voices singing Longing for the Spring Breeze brought three to four hundred attending expats to tears. Established in 2020, the M&Ocean Band saw students independently rehearse and design their own stage setups, starting from local markets in Yilan and eventually progressing to Taipei 101, government agencies, and major ticketed stages. Accumulating experience and travel funds along the way, they finally made their dream come true this summer by performing in the United States.

Pan Hou-sheng
M&Ocean member
Being on stage, I love performing so much! I hope I’ll have even more opportunities to perform in the future.

Lin Ko-ching
M&Ocean member
We served local Taiwanese snacks to the elderly folks over there. When performing on stage, seeing the smiles on the audience’s faces brings us joy.

The group also performed at senior centers and city councils in California, receiving official commendations. Across their 12-day journey, they delivered eight performances to overwhelming acclaim.

Huang Chien-jung
Yue-Ming principal
They worked hard toward their dream and also managed to bring joy to so many people.

Wang Ching-ju
Parent
Some people even drove two or three hours just to see these kids perform. They’ve actually seen quite a lot of performances over there, but the vast majority were groups from China. What these Taiwanese kids brought had a completely different character.

Emotional connections spanning across the Pacific deeply touched California’s overseas Taiwanese community. Some even expressed willingness to sponsor them in the future, hoping the kids will visit again and bring authentic Taiwanese performances back to the US.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#Wangchunfeng #choir #YueMingElementary #Yilan #California #MOceanBand #expats #exchange

2026-08-13