Taiwanese Man From Chicago Killed In Crash While On Bus Tour In Australia
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Many in Chicago's Taiwanese-American community are mourning the death of one of their leaders: a 38-year-old photographer and artist who was killed in a bus crash at a convention in Australia.
It happened near Melbourne, Australia, this week. WBBM's Steve Miller reports.
After a worldwide Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce convention, there was a bus tour. And there was an accident - their bus Monday in Victoria.
Victoria State Police Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Mark Patrick said there were 30 people on the bus, which was towing a trailer. The bus was heading west on Great Ocean Road near Cape Otway, down a steep decline and into a bend, when the driver lost control, Patrick said.
The bus rolled onto its side and hit a large gumtree. Cheng-Yung Kuo was thrown from the bus and died at the scene.
"I think the bus rolled over and hit a tree," said Tim Chen is a former leader of Chicago's Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce.
He was in Melbourne at the convention and got the news in Australia when the bus crash killed one of Chicago's Junior Chamber of Commerce leaders, Cheng-Yung Kuo.
"Everyone was shocked and can't believe that happened."
Chen said Kuo was a rising star, not only an artist and photographer, but was planning to run for president of the worldwide junior Chamber of Commerce.
"He went to Melbourne with us. He tried to run his campaign for the next president of worldwide junior chapters," Chen said.
The organization's Facebook page is full of tributes to Kuo, and Wednesday night there was a special prayer service for him and his wife, who was injured in the accident.
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