Two Chinese business leaders killed in hit-and-run

They were tight friends who became prominent members of the Asian American community after emigrating to Philadelphia more than a dozen years ago.

They lost their lives early Thursday in a horrific crash when their car was T-boned by a hit-and-run driver at 16th and Vine Streets.
 
Zhihua Lin and Chun Liang Li were returning home after a business meeting in Chinatown when a speeding Buick Regal ran a red light and slammed into the driver's side of a Toyota Corolla apparently driven by Li.
 
Their car was so mangled that their bodies could not be pulled from the wreckage at the scene.
 
The two men in the Buick jumped into a Pontiac, which sped away down the nearby ramp to the westbound Vine Street Expressway, said police, who suspect the Buick and Pontiac were drag racing.
 
Sue Huang, 24, a niece of Lin, said he came to the United States in 1987, began working in the restaurant trade and for the last two years was a local representative of the online shopping service called Market America.
 
"He was a very hard-working man, with high pride," she said. "He didn't want to work in restaurants his whole life."
 
She said Lin, 58, was very fit and "could run even faster than kids."
 
The last time she saw him was at her home about a month ago, when as usual he reminded her to drive carefully.
"He always said, 'It is better to wait for a minute, than rush for a second,' " said Huang. She emigrated to the U.S. about a decade after her uncle, who was known to his customers as Henry.
 
"We all come here for a better life," said Huang. "But the crime rate is higher here. The person who crashed into my uncle just seems to be an animal, passing red lights, driving like he owns the road."
 
The driver of the Buick and two others sought in connection with the crash were still at large last night.
 
Lin and Li, who both worked in take-out restaurants during their time in Philadelphia, were elected last week to head the Fujian Association of Pennsylvania, said Steven
 
Zhu, who serves on the Mayor's Commission of Asian American Affairs. The group helps recent immigrants from Fujian Province in Southeast China.
 
Lin, was also a vice president of the Greater Philadelphia United Chinese American Chamber of Commerce. Li, who was active in several Chinese American business organizations, owned a take-out restaurant in North Philadelphia.
 
Both were known for their generosity.
 
"It's not easy to survive in this city if you are a new immigrant," Zhu said, "but they worked very hard so others could attain self-sufficiency."
 
Lin's death is his family's second tragic blow in less than five years.
 
His son, Geng "Andy" Lin, 23, was slain during a botched robbery in June 2005 at the family's take-out restaurant. After the slaying, Zhihua Lin sold the Oriental Kitchen at 18th Street and Ridge Avenue, Zhu said. His son's killer was never caught.
 
"He suffered a lot," said Bihon Guan, the former president of the chamber. "Now all Chinatown is in deep sorrow for their loss."
 
The crash happened about 1:45 a.m. when the Buick, northbound on 16th, plowed into Lin's westbound car on Vine.
 
Police found a .40-caliber handgun in the Buick and said they had traced the car's registration to a woman in Southwest Philadelphia.

Investigators were checking surveillance cameras in the area, including at the nearby U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services building, to see if they could provide any clues.
 
Moments before the crash, a patrol officer noticed the Buick and four other vehicles leaving a nightclub at 15th and Arch Streets. The officer radioed an alert for backup after seeing the Buick disregard traffic lights.