The mother and father of a 23-year-old from Anhui Province have spent the last five days sitting beside the side of the road looking for witnesses to a hit-and-run collision that killed their son last Friday.

Police say Han Guangwu was killed in a collision in front of the Shaxiyuan residential complex on Zhongshan Road N. in Shanghai at about 8:35 PM on Friday.

They believe a cargo van ran into the moped Han was riding in a bicycle lane.

Police have issued a notice looking for witnesses to the collision, but so far no one has come forward.

Police discovered Han's body lying beside his seriously damaged moped in the bicycle lane later that evening. His head had be crushed during the crash.

Han's parents, Hang Yongliang and Shen Zhangrong, said they received the bad news from Shanghai police while they were at their home in Anhui last Saturday.

The couple immediately traveled to the city with several other relatives.

They had been sitting on the sidewalk next to the lane where Han was killed, with a large witness-wanted notice board and a wreath, since they arrived in Shanghai on Sunday.

"You can still see these small spots of blood that sprayed onto the sidewalk here," said Han Yongliang, the father, pointing to the sidewalk yesterday.

A skid mark, presumably from the vehicle that hit Han, runs for more than 20 meters along the bicycle lane.

Han's mother pointed out another mark, which was presumably made when Han's moped slid across the street after the collision.

"Maybe he had tried to drive the moped onto the sidewalk to save his life," said Shen, the mother.

Many residents living nearby have been showing great concern for Han's relatives.

They offered food and quilts for Han's relatives to use during the streetside vigil, as well as a large wreath to mourn the loss of an innocent life.

Residents and some street sweepers said the narrow bicycle lane is frequently used by cars and buses trying to avoid a red light installed at a nearby intersection.

"You can see clearly from all the traces left on the lane that my son did nothing wrong in the accident," the mother wept.

Police would not say what kind of motor vehicle hit the man yet, but the skid marks suggest Han was hit by a cargo van.

The 23-year-old was the only child of the farmer's family. "We will stay right here forever unless the hit-and-run driver is caught," said Han's mother.

(eastday.com May 13, 2005)