Chinese Man Buys Coffin And Fakes His Death To Escape Arrest. Police Uncover Bizarre Plot

A man in central China went to extraordinary lengths to avoid punishment for drink-driving, allegedly faking his own death with help from his family before fleeing hundreds of kilometres away. The unusual case, recently disclosed by prosecutors in Anyang, Henan province, has drawn widespread attention on Chinese social media.

The man, identified only by his surname Si, was arrested for drink-driving in January last year. Investigators later found that he had twice previously been caught driving without a licence while intoxicated. He was released on bail while the case was under investigation.

Under Chinese law, drink-driving can be treated as the criminal offence of dangerous driving, which carries penalties including licence revocation, up to six months of criminal detention and a fine.

Fearing a prison sentence, Si decided to disappear. According to prosecutors, he believed another conviction, combined with his mounting debts and past offences, would make it impossible to rebuild his life.

In June last year, he allegedly staged a fake overdose. He bought a coffin, scattered empty medicine bottles around his home, held his breath while lying still, and used cooling equipment to make his body feel cold. His family then claimed he had died from an overdose, saying his face was covered because it had become "distorted".

Before nightfall, Si's mother and grandmother quickly buried the coffin while he secretly fled to Yunnan province in southwestern China, where he looked for work.

When police arrived after receiving news of his "death", they found the coffin had already been buried. But several details immediately raised suspicion. The family had not called for emergency medical help, the coffin had been purchased in advance, and there was no official death certificate, cremation record or cancellation of Si's household registration.

Investigators also learned that no one except Si's mother and grandmother had seen the body, as his face had remained covered throughout.

After reviewing CCTV footage, bank records and phone data, police concluded that Si was still alive and launched a search for him. He was arrested in April this year and sentenced the following month to five months of criminal detention along with a fine of 20,000 yuan (around US$3,000). On June 11, police also opened criminal investigations against Si's mother and grandmother on suspicion of helping to harbour and shield an offender.

The story went viral on Chinese social media, amassing a variety of reactions. One user wrote, "Is it really so difficult not to drive after drinking? Si went to extraordinary lengths to avoid charges, only to be caught in the end."

Another said, "His family thought they were helping him, but they only made matters worse."