Armless Hubei man drives 99,500 miles, arrested for not having license

image courtesy of people’s daily

A Hubei man drove 99,500 miles before being caught for not having a license on July 2, according to People’s Daily.

The man was apparently traveling east on the Huyu Expressway—a major expressway connecting Chongqing and Shanghai— when he was pulled over for switching lanes to avoid a “high-speed/ drunk driving” police check point. What officers saw when they looked through the drivers-side window amazed them. The armless man was apparently steering with the big toe of his left foot, switched into park with his right foot and then turned the car off with his right foot and took out the car keys. He was fined 500 yuan for driving without a license.

The man was apparently driving a friend to visit relatives in a city outside Shanghai. He managed to drive 99,500 miles—almost a quarter of the country—before being pulled over by police.

The armless man is considered a local celebrity, authorities said. Instead of letting his disabled status burden his family and friends, the man is financially independent. He supports his wife, two kids and extended family. He bought his sleek black car himself, and often uses it to help neighbors drive their children to school.

Before fining him, police mentioned they were impressed with his driving skills. Technically, the penalty for driving without a license is detention. But, police realized that without the breadwinner home, no one would be able to provide for the man’s family. They decided to just fine him 500 yuan, and asked him to please stop driving.