U.S. College Student Faces Murder Charges in Hong Kong

Kelsey Michael Mudd is challenging accusations that he is responsible for a Hong Kong taxi cab accident that killed the driver before he commandeered the vehicle and crashed into another cab.

Prosecutors charged Mudd, a student at California State University, Chico, with murder, believing his actions led to the fatal accident on June 27.  Mudd had a blood alcohol concentration level (BAC) of more than three times the legal limit when he reportedly got into an argument with the taxi cab driver.  Local TV footage shows Mudd climbing into the driver's seat while paramedics attended to the cab driver, and then speeding off in the taxi before he hit another cab head-on.

If Mudd is convicted of the charges, he could face life in prison.  Unlike mainland China, Hong Kong does not have the death penalty.

Mudd's defense attorney is maintaining that he is innocent, stating that the accident was indeed just a traffic accident. The defense argued that without evidence that shows Mudd in the driver's seat when the fatal accident took place, he cannot be held responsible for the death of the driver.

Mudd's attorney, Ian Polson, said the whole thing is being blown out of proportion, and that Mudd's BAC level is irrelevant if he wasn't driving.

Mudd, who hasn't yet entered a plea, was taken back into custody after Acting Principle Magistrate Bina Chainrai adjourned his case until August 28 to give prosecutors more time to investigate.

Mudd was spending his summer in Hong Kong volunteering at a local charity that works with disabled and disadvantaged children.

For more information, please click here to find a criminal defense lawyer near you.