31/01/2014 11:00
Report: Trucks didn't kill Asiana victim
Contradicting claims by a coroner and her family, a new report by San Francisco authorities concludes 16-year-old Ye Meng Yuan was already dead when two fire trucks ran over her on the Northern California airport's tarmac, CNN reported.
The official accident investigation prepared by San Francisco International Airport and city fire department officials -- submitted earlier this month but not revealed publicly until Wednesday, states that "ample evidence refutes" the contention that Ye was killed by the vehicles.
At least three firefighters determined that the Chinese teenager -- who, it was determined, wasn't wearing a seatbelt when she was ejected from Asiana Flight 214 as it crashed July 6 -- was dead before she was struck, the report found.
"As trained mass casualty responders, the firefighters moved onto other immediate tasks" after quickly determining Ye had died, the report said. "Tragically and regretfully, two ... vehicles later rolled over the deceased during active firefighting operations.
One person who doesn't buy this argument is San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault, who performed the autopsy on Ye's body. He determined she died of blunt trauma injuries.
Foucrault said he was giving "an unbiased review" and "doesn't have a dog in this," but said of the investigation's finding: "It is not factually accurate."
The coroner added: "(Her injuries were) consistent with being run over by a motor vehicle and there is overwhelming physical and scientific evidence to support she was run over."
Fourcrault isn't alone. Earlier this month, a lawyer for Ye's family said video shows several firefighters saw her lying on the tarmac, but none "did the basic step of checking if she was alive."