ZHENGZHOU, Dec. 1 -- Authorities in central China said Sunday they are investigating an attempted suicide of a cargo truck owner over repeated fines for overloading by road officials.

Wen Li, a truck owner in Yongcheng City, Henan Province, drank pesticide in a suicide attempt on Nov. 14 after road and transportation authorities insisted on fining her although she had already paid an annual "fee" of 3,000 yuan (about 489 U.S. dollars) and a monthly "fee" of the same sum to the two departments respectively, according to Liu Huaizhou, a relative of Wen.

The fees are paid for overloading, which is common for cargo transport drivers as they seek more profit rather than thin revenue given the transport costs. Overloaded vehicles are often allowed to run on roads in some places after drivers pay the fines.

Wen's truck was stopped by local road management authorities on a section in Yongcheng. Her hands and legs were shaking after she drank the pesticide, but road law enforcement officials refused to send her to hospital. She was taken to hospital by an ambulance instead, Liu said.

A joint investigation team has been set up for the case, said the Yongcheng city government. Officials from the Henan provincial transport department also joined the probe.

Those held accountable in the case will be dealt with seriously, according to Yongcheng city government.

Wen has been discharged from hospital after medical treatment for about two weeks, but she still needs to go to hospital every day for further treatment, according to Liu.

The case sparked outcry among netizens after it was first reported by China Central Television on Saturday. Many criticized the numerous fees and fines on roads and urged reforms in road management systems.