"Body Moved First"... Hero Who Prevented Accident by Climbing Uphill Truck

Chased and Jumped onto Accelerating Vehicle, Then Braked
Left Ankle Fractured but "Grateful to Help"

A citizen who chased after a 1-ton truck that had its brakes released and was rushing down a slope in Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi Province, then climbed onto it and applied the brakes to prevent a major accident, received a commendation from the police.

On April 10th, a scene was captured of Lee Hee-seong running to stop a truck rolling down a slope on a road in Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi Province. [Image source=Gwangju Police Station, Gyeonggi]

Gyeonggi Gwangju Police Station awarded a letter of appreciation to Heeseong Lee (30) for stopping a truck that could have led to a major accident.
[Image source=Gyeonggi Gwangju Police Station]

On the 10th, the Gwangju Police Station presented a commendation to the citizen who stopped the driverless truck speeding down a slope on a roadside in Taejeon-dong, Gwangju-si, at around 2:50 p.m. on April 10. At the time, the truck had been parked on an incline, but it rolled down because the driver had not properly engaged the side brake. When the truck started moving, the driver tried to stop it by holding onto the truck, but due to the acceleration on the slope, they could not stop and ran along while holding onto the truck. The truck did not stop even after hitting a sport utility vehicle (SUV) parked by the roadside.

On April 10th, a scene was captured in the streets of Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, showing Lee Hee-seong running to stop a truck rolling down a slope. [Image source=Gwangju Gyeonggi Police Station]

The person who stopped the truck was Hee-seong Lee (30), who was on the sidewalk in front of the company where he works. Upon seeing the truck, Lee ran over, opened the driver’s door, climbed in, and barely managed to stop the truck. The truck had moved into an area with many academy vehicles near a cluster of private academies, and if it had not been stopped, a secondary or tertiary major accident could have occurred. However, Lee, who was wearing slippers, suffered an ankle fracture and other injuries during the incident and is still recovering.

On April 10th, a scene was captured on a road in Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi Province, where Lee Hee-seong chased after a truck rolling down a slope and climbed into the driver's seat to stop it. [Image source=Gwangju Police Station, Gyeonggi]

Lee said, "I had a short break and came downstairs to drink coffee on the first floor, standing on the hill, when I saw an elderly person being dragged beside the truck and thought, 'What is this?'" He added, "Looking back now, I wonder how I was able to do that." Nevertheless, he said, "My body moved first because I thought I had to prevent an accident," and "Anyone who witnessed the situation would have done the same." He also expressed gratitude, saying, "I am thankful that I could help someone." Yoo Jae-yeol, chief of the Gwangju Police Station, said, "Thanks to the citizen who did not just pass by after seeing a dangerous situation, a major accident was prevented," and added, "We will continue to do our best to protect citizens' lives and safety through cooperation between the public, private sectors, and the police."