During a consumer's test drive, the vehicle suddenly accelerated onto the sidewalk, leading to the tragedy, according to local media.

(Image credit: Haibao News)

A traffic accident involving an vehicle in downtown Shanghai has led to the death of one person, sparking much discussion.

An Nio vehicle used for test drives ran into the sidewalk near Grand Gateway in Shanghai's Xuhui district on February 3, killing one pedestrian and injuring another, Shandong-based Haibao News reported today.

The accident occurred at around 20:00, and the vehicle involved was an Nio vehicle used for test drives, witnesses at the scene said. A reporter from the media visited the accident site today.

According to the report, the vehicle suddenly accelerated into the sidewalk during a consumer's test drive, leading to the tragedy.

The victims were a mother and her son, with the mother dead and the son seriously injured. The driver has been controlled by the police and the cause of the incident is under further investigation, the report said.

The test-drive vehicle belongs to the Nio Space in Grand Gateway, the report said, adding that staff at the showroom said when interviewed that no information could be provided at this time.

The Nio Space, which officially opened on July 17, 2022, is Nio's 27th store in Shanghai and its first offline store in the busy Xuhui district, according to information previously announced on the Nio App.

The showroom not only extends Nio's operations and service network in Shanghai, but will also serve as a new offline touchpoint in the city to bring consumers test drive experiences, the company previously said.

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