A?senior?police officer has apologized after his son killed a student and injured another in a hit-and-run car crash in northern China.

Li Gang, deputy director of the Baoding City Public Security Bureau in Hebei Province, said in tears in front of a TV camera that he felt "deep regret" about the "severe damage" caused by his 22-year-old son, Li Qiming who shouted "sue me if you dare" after the crash.

The man even pledged to bring his son, who has been detained, before the law during the interview with China Central Television on Thursday night.

However, many netizens said the tears were just an attempt to "keep his government job" on 163.com, a popular Chinese website portal.

Some netizens expressed doubts over the honesty of Li Gang, saying he was just doing it to divert public attention.

"How can a father as humble as him have a son as insolent as that," one netizen nicknamed "Wo Shi Su Su" asked.

Li Qiming, who was drunk at the time of the accident, also apologized in a video released yesterday. He tearfully said he was "sorry" about what he did and that he was "too frightened" on the night of October 16.

Li Qiming's apology also seemed to have little effect in soothing public outrage over the incident.

Nearly 1,000 comments were immediately posted following the news on 163.com, among which many posters said they were stunned by Li Qiming's total change of attitude.

One netizen nicked "Shan Zai Ci Bei" said it was too late for Li Qiming to show modesty.

Amid anger toward the two Lis, some netizens even launched an online poem writing contest, in which writers created new poems by mixing classical Chinese poems with the sentence "My father is Li Gang," which Li Qiming shouted after his car was blocked by crowds after the accident at Hebei University.

Posts on the poems have received numerous clicks and have become the hottest topic on several Chinese websites, including Tianya.com, and Sina.com.