Chinese Father Stages Fatal Crash to Murder Son for Insurance Money: Court Reveals Shocking Details

Zhang displayed false grief when police arrived, cradling his deceased son's body.

A disturbing incident from southeastern China has captured national attention after officials revealed that a father orchestrated a deadly traffic collision to kill his seven-year-old son for insurance money, according to the South China Morning Post.

The Fujian Provincial Court recently released additional information about the 2020 case that occurred in Sanming City. The father, known as Zhang, had been involved in ongoing disputes with his wife regarding money matters and suspected infidelity. Consumed by hostility and bitterness, Zhang formulated a plan to murder their son and collect the insurance benefits for himself, SCMP reported.

To execute his plan, Zhang recruited his cousin, who worked as a truck driver whose employer had taken out two substantial insurance policies on the vehicle. In October 2020, Zhang positioned his car on the roadside with his son inside, then instructed the child to exit and stand next to the vehicle. Shortly thereafter, the cousin intentionally crashed the truck into the car, killing the boy on impact.

When authorities arrived, Zhang pretended to be devastated, holding his son's body while claiming the collision was unintentional. The cousin also falsely stated he had been distracted by his phone. Both men concealed their family relationship.

Several months later, Zhang received an insurance settlement of 180,000 yuan (US$25,000) and provided 30,000 yuan (US$4,200) to his cousin. The scheme began to unravel when investigators discovered that the cousin had falsified his road transport credentials, making him an unauthorized driver. This finding prompted the insurance company to deny the claim and transfer financial liability to the truck's owner, Luo.

Questioning this decision, Luo contacted police and revealed that another associate, Ye, had knowledge of Zhang's intentions but had declined to participate. Following these leads, investigators exposed the conspiracy and apprehended both Zhang and his cousin.

The court ultimately sentenced Zhang's cousin to death with a two-year reprieve and imposed a 30,000 yuan fine, while Zhang received a death sentence pending appeal. The case has generated widespread indignation online, with related content receiving over 32 million views.