Rio Paralympics' gold medalist dies in car accident: police

Rio Paralympics' gold medalist Huang Wenpan has reportedly died in a car accident at the age of 23.

According to local police's official weibo account, the tragedy happened when his vehicle crashed into a lamp post on a road in Hongya County of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Local police announces that Huang Wenpan dies in a car accident in Hongya County of southwest China's Sichuan Province on March 15, 2018. [Photo: weibo.com]

The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

Huang snatched 5 gold medals and set up a series of world records in 5 different swimming events during the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Gold medalist China's Huang Wenpan is at the awarding ceremony for the men's 150m individual medley SM3 event at the 31st Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro on September 16, 2016. [Photo: Xinhua/Ou Dongqu]

The events included the mixed 4x50m freestyle 20 points, the men's 50m freestyle S3, the men's 50m breaststroke SB2, the men's 200m freestyle S3, and the men's 150m individual medley SM3.

China's Huang Wenpan competes during the men's 150m individual medley SM3 event at the 31st Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro on September 16, 2016. [Photo: Xinhua/Ou Dongqu]

Huang was born with cerebral palsy and began swimming in 2010.