The Shenzhen traffic police bureau detained a Shenzhen University student on suspicion that he had tried to cover up a sports car driver's alleged responsibility for a crash that killed three people.

The crash occurred on May 26 in Shenzhen. The driver is suspected of traveling at 180 kilometers an hour while he was drunk and hitting two taxis, Shenzhen Evening News reported on Monday.

Following the crash, police say, Hou ran away from the scene and called Wu to ask to be picked up. Police say Wu accompanied Hou in a taxi to the Dameisha International Yacht Club in Shenzhen.

The crash became a national scandal after the public began to ask if Hou was being unfairly held responsible for it. He surrendered seven hours after the crash had occurred and was later revealed to be an employee of a construction company.

The news came as a shock to many Shenzhen University students, many of whom believed Wu's actions were what anyone could expect from a friend, the newspaper said.