"Let's Take the Nearest Bridge"... A Taxi Driver's Instinct Saved a Life

After passengers got off due to anxiety, the police were immediately notified
Even after reporting, comfort was offered beside the passengers searching for them

A taxi driver who sensed something strange after a passenger requested to be taken to a nearby bridge ultimately saved a life.

On the 5th, a video titled "A Taxi Passenger Heading to Namhangang Bridge and the Taxi Driver Who Could Not Just Turn Back" was uploaded to the YouTube channel 'Han Moon-cheol TV,' operated by traffic accident specialist lawyer Han Moon-cheol.

The video’s informant, taxi driver Mr. A, picked up a male passenger, Mr. B, around 1 a.m. on the 26th of last month in Chungju, Chungbuk Province. Mr. B, who was intoxicated at the time, said, "Please take me to a nearby river or a place with a bridge." When Mr. A asked, "What are you going to do there?" Mr. B replied, "I just feel bad and want to take a walk while running."

On the 5th, a video titled "A Taxi Passenger Heading to Namhangang Bridge and a Taxi Driver Who Could Not Just Turn Back" was uploaded on the YouTube channel 'Han Moon-cheol TV,' operated by traffic accident specialist lawyer Han Moon-cheol.
[Photo by Han Moon-cheol TV]

As Mr. A headed toward the nearby bridge, feeling uneasy, he spoke to Mr. B again. When Mr. A asked if he was feeling unwell, Mr. B said, "If things go wrong, I might cross the red line, and once a person starts to unravel..." but he couldn’t finish his sentence. Mr. A comforted him, saying, "Why go to the bridge if you’re struggling? But hang in there. Life is nothing special. We’re all the same."

Upon arriving at the destination, Mr. A asked Mr. B, "You’re not thinking of anything bad, right?" At that time, Mr. B responded calmly, "I’m too scared to attempt suicide. How could I do that?"

After dropping off Mr. B and continuing on his way, Mr. A couldn’t shake off his uneasy feelings. Eventually, he called 112 (emergency number) and said, "I’m reporting just in case. He said, ‘What’s the point of living if it’s hard,’ and I felt uneasy, so I called," explaining the situation.

After the report, Mr. A found Mr. B holding onto the bridge railing and stayed by his side to comfort him until the police arrived. At that time, Mr. B asked Mr. A, "Is it deep here?" while looking toward a nearby funeral home and said, "I don’t want to live."

Even after the police arrived, Mr. B refused to come down from the railing, but after persuasion from both the police and Mr. A, he finally came down. The police who responded at the scene thanked Mr. A, saying, "You saved a life." Afterwards, the police handed Mr. B over to a mental health welfare center so he could receive counseling and treatment.

Lawyer Han Moon-cheol, who watched the video, said, "You saved a life." Netizens also responded with comments such as "An amazing person," "Applause for the taxi driver’s courage," "Glad it ended without incident," and "You can feel the warmth in every word the taxi driver said."

※ If you or someone around you is struggling with difficult feelings such as depression, you can receive 24-hour professional counseling through suicide prevention hotline ☎1393, mental health counseling ☎1577-0199, Hope Call ☎129, Lifeline ☎1588-9191, Youth Hotline ☎1388, the youth mobile counseling app 'Da Deureojul Gae,' KakaoTalk, and other services.