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A van driver who accidentally ran over a little girl says he took her away and killed her to avoid being sued for care costs.

The 33-year-old van driver identified only by his surname also revealed that he sold nine-year-old Tao Xiuli's organs.

Suspicious neighbours are thought to have tipped off police.

The driver was arrested at his home in the village of Shaling in the county of Huangmei in Central China's Hubei Province.

The family of Tao had reported her missing two days previously.

(Image: AsiaWire)

Police found her body at or near his property in Shaling.

They were shocked to discover that many of her organs had been removed.

He reportedly confessed to police that he had knocked down the girl in an accident and taken her away to kill her.

He said he feared he would be liable for the costs of the girl's lifelong care if she survived but was disabled.

Seeing an opportunity to make some money, he then sold her organs, it is reported.

The girl's unnamed father told Chinese media that he hopes that the murderer will be sentenced to death.

The phenomenon of drivers deliberately killing people they have injured in road accidents is thought to be fairly common in China.

It occurs in part because someone disabling a person has to pay for their lifetime of care under Chinese law, a huge and ongoing payment, whereas the financial penalty for killing someone is much smaller and one-off.