China driver fatally runs over meter maid

A man determined to escape paying a parking fee in downtown Shanghai ran over and killed a meter maid in the latest in a spate of road rage incidents in China, according to AP. The uniformed parking attendant was standing in front of the man's car trying to prevent him from leaving when she was run over, the Xinmin News and other local reports said Thursday. Parking in the area costs 15 yuan (about $2.35) an hour. The reports said the man drove into the woman and that she was dragged under the Audi sedan until he stopped a short while later, and that passersby pulled her from beneath the car. She died after she was taken to a nearby hospital. Police, who reportedly took the man into custody, did not respond to phone calls after office hours Thursday. A search for the vehicle involved in the incident in a police traffic website revealed 22 records, including for speeding and parking and other alleged violations. Reports of road rage and drunk driving incidents in China have been on the rise, reflecting the boom in auto sales. Many drivers hit the streets with little more than cursory training and show scant regard for traffic lights and other basic rules. Last week in Beijing, a prominent singer associated with the military apologized publicly after his son attacked a couple in their car when they blocked his way while he was driving a BMW reportedly given to him by his father, although he was too young to have a license.