Traffic officer taken for a ride on hood of car

A woman who drove more than 1 kilometer with a traffic policeman gripping onto the car's hood last week defended herself by saying that she was in a bad mood after learning of her mother's sudden illness, Zhengzhou Evening News reported on Wednesday.

But her explanation and apology were widely doubted online.

On Jan 17, Liu Yuhong, who was driving a BMW Z4, was stopped by Yang Huanzeng, a traffic police officer in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, for running a red light and having no license plates on the car.

Ignoring the officer's order to get out, Liu sped up and carried the officer on the hood for 1.3 kilometers until she was forced to stop by other cars on the street.

Liu, 39, was given the nickname "BMW woman" on the Internet after media reported the incident.

In a video clip acquired by the newspaper on Jan 20 from the police of the detention house in Zhengzhou, where she has been held since Jan 17, Liu expressed her apology.

"I deeply regret what I have done," the newspaper quoted Yang as saying in the video.

She also explained her actions.

"At lunchtime that day, I got a call from my mother's doctor and I was told that she was stricken by vascular disease due to the cold weather," Liu was quoted as saying.

"I was very upset in the afternoon. When the traffic police officer appeared, my mind went blank at that moment."

The public security bureau in Zhengzhou has submitted the case to the procuratorate and the result will come out in seven working days.