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Man Falls Asleep Driving, Crashes Into 3 Parked Ferraris, Gets Lots of Sympathy

Hitting one Ferrari with your own car must be bad enough, but to hit 3 of them is the very definition of “when it rains, it pours.”
One of the 3 Ferraris a young man damaged after falling asleep at the wheel of his Mitsubishi, in Taiwan 10 photos
Photo: New Taipei City Police Department
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It happened to a young man from New Taipei City, Taiwan, 20-year-old Lin Chin-hsiang over the weekend. The story of this young man’s misfortune has touched the hearts of many since it made headlines in the national media, while also prompting a wave of sympathy and donations, the BBC reports.

Lin dropped out of college in his freshmen year, when his father died and his mother needed help run the family business – which actually sounds a lot better than it is, since they’re selling incense and worship trinkets out of a metal shed that also serves as home. He works at a local restaurant.

On the night in question, Lin arrived home at about 3 in the morning. His mother was feeling ill, so he agreed to carry a delivery for her, so he got in his Mitsubishi and drove off. He happened to doze off at the wheel just as he was coming up a group of 4 luxury cars parked on the side of the road. Apparently, they’re owners were organizing a meet for a “scenic drive.” All of them were outside their vehicles when Lin came smashing into the cars, but no one was hurt.

When Lin got out of his car, after waking up from the shock and the noise of the impact, he was shocked to witness such a scene: he had rear-ended one of the Ferraris at high speed, creating a domino effect. He had managed to cause damage to 3 of them, with the damages estimated at a cool $390,000.

With his current salary, it would take him 28 years to pay for all of that, the BBC says, after doing the math. Lin was booked and processed, and it was determined that he hadn’t drunk before getting at the wheel. He also has a clean driving record, which is just a small reason for the outpour of sympathy he’s been getting.

Since his story has made national headlines, people have been offering to help him pay for the damages. The smallest donations are of a mere $4, but he’s also gotten as much as $6,500 from a single individual: so far, he has $24,000 raised, but more is coming in.

“I'm really grateful to everyone who has offered to help and who has come here to encourage me,” Lin says. “Some people even drove up from central Taiwan and asked me where they can donate money.”

Some people asked the Ferrari owners to forgive Lin and agree to pay for the damage themselves, but at least one of them has gone public with his unwillingness to do so. Apparently, Lin isn’t just hardworking, he’s also very correct – even if it’s not in his best interest right now.

“I'm really sorry to have hit their cars, really sorry,” he tells the BBC. “It wasn't intentional… Even though it will take a long time, I committed a wrong. I should still pay for it.”
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About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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