County in Henan clarifies crash case rumors

The Linying county government in Henan province has debunked viral claims that a driver involved in a crash that killed four people and injured two had submitted fraudulent poverty documents to the court, clarifying that the controversial letter was merely a character reference from his village.

According to an official statement released by the local government on Monday, the crash occurred on Feb 11 when a Xiaomi car, driven by a man surnamed Wang, struck another car carrying six people. Wang, the sole occupant of his vehicle, was arrested shortly after the incident. His trial is still underway.

Online speculation arose after reports claimed Wang's family submitted a "poverty certificate" during court proceedings to seek leniency. However, an investigation found that the document was merely a personal reference letter from Wang's village, attesting to Wang's conduct and his family's financial struggles following the crash.

The village official, identified as Li, issued the letter at the request of Wang's mother without verifying its intended use. Local authorities deemed the action improper, and Li was suspended on Sunday for failing to uphold his duties.

The Linying government stated that the case will proceed in strict accordance with the law.