An Octogenarian Illegally Crossing a 6-Lane Road Fatally Hit by Two Vehicles in Succession

Accident Occurred at 5:20 AM
Driver: "It Was Too Dark to See"

An octogenarian who was jaywalking on a six-lane road was consecutively hit by two vehicles and transported to the hospital, but ultimately died from the accident.

The Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station announced on the 23rd that they have booked and are investigating a man in his 40s, Mr. B, and a man in his 50s, Mr. C, on charges of causing death by traffic accident (under the Special Act on the Treatment of Traffic Accidents) for hitting and killing pedestrian Mr. A. The incident occurred around 5:20 a.m. on a six-lane road in Donggok-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, where the octogenarian Mr. A was crossing the street.

At the time, Mr. A was jaywalking on the six-lane road when he was first struck by a BMW passenger car driven by Mr. B in his 40s, and then hit again by a Grandeur driven by Mr. C in his 50s who was following behind. He was transported to the hospital by the 119 emergency medical team in a state of cardiac arrest but eventually passed away. The tragedy occurred because he crossed the road at a place without a crosswalk.

Both drivers stated during the police investigation that "it was dark, so they did not see Mr. A." The police confirmed at the scene that both drivers held valid driver's licenses and were not under the influence of alcohol.

The police have booked both drivers on charges of causing death by traffic accident under the Special Act on the Treatment of Traffic Accidents and are investigating the exact circumstances of the accident.

Drivers Sometimes Acquitted When Accidents Occur Due to Jaywalking

Similar accidents have occurred. In September last year in Gwangju, an octogenarian collecting scrap paper was hit and killed while crossing an eight-lane road without a crosswalk. The elderly person was pulling a cart filled with scrap paper and was transported to the hospital but died during treatment.

In September last year in Incheon, a city bus traveling on an eight-lane road hit a pedestrian crossing the crosswalk against the pedestrian red light. The pedestrian died while receiving treatment at the hospital, but the Incheon District Court acquitted the driver in his 70s who was charged with causing the pedestrian's death. The court judged that even if the bus driver had braked suddenly upon recognizing the pedestrian, the collision could not have been avoided.