Child in Critical Condition from Busan School Zone Traffic Accident Eventually Passes Away

Police Review Application of Minsik Law

At around 3:30 PM on the 15th, an Avante passenger car struck a woman in her 30s and her 6-year-old daughter on the sidewalk within a school zone near an elementary school in Jaesong-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan. The child, who was critically injured in the accident, never regained consciousness and ultimately passed away.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Bong-ju] A 6-year-old child who was critically injured after being hit by a passenger car in a school zone in Busan has passed away without regaining consciousness.

According to the Busan Police Agency on the 16th, the child was walking with her mother and older sister along the pedestrian path in front of an elementary school in Jaesong-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan, around 3:30 PM the previous day when a passenger car broke through the pedestrian railing and struck her. She was transported to nearby Haeundae Paik Hospital.

However, the child, who was receiving treatment in an unconscious state, ultimately died at the hospital at 2:40 AM on the 16th, the day after the accident.

The mother sustained minor injuries, while the older sister escaped harm.

The driver of the passenger car, who is in his 60s, was also reported to have minor injuries.

According to the police, an SUV that crossed the center line and made a left turn collided with the passenger car traveling straight about 20 meters from the accident site.

Afterwards, the passenger car lost control and accelerated downhill, hitting the mother and daughter walking on the pedestrian path in front of the elementary school’s main gate.

The police are investigating the exact circumstances of the accident with the driver and others, and are reviewing whether the Min-sik Act applies since the accident occurred within a school zone.

Meanwhile, the Min-sik Act was enacted on March 25, 2020, following the death of Kim Min-sik (then 9 years old) in a traffic accident in a school zone in Asan, Chungnam, in September 2019.

The law includes two bills: the 'Road Traffic Act Amendment,' which mandates the installation of traffic lights and speed cameras in school zones, and the 'Amendment to the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes,' which imposes heavier penalties on offenders causing death or injury due to negligence of safe driving duties within school zones.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.