"Truck Driver Who Hit Four Sisters in School Zone, Saying 'I Didn't See the Family,' Arrested"

Second Traffic Accident in the Same School Zone Since Last May
Police Plan Additional Safety Facility Improvements

At around 8:45 a.m. on the 17th, a 5-ton truck driven by a driver in his 50s, Mr. A, hit a family of four pedestrians at a crosswalk in a child protection zone in Unam-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju. The photo shows the scene just before the accident. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] The driver who struck a mother and her three children with a 5-ton truck in a school zone, resulting in one death and two serious injuries, has been detained.

The Gwangju Bukbu Police Station announced on the 18th that a detention warrant was issued for Mr. A, in his 50s, on charges of causing casualties to three family members in a school zone (including death under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes).

Mr. A is accused of hitting a mother in her 30s and her three children who were crossing a crosswalk without pedestrian signals near an apartment complex in Unam-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, at around 8:45 a.m. on the 17th with his truck.

As a result of the accident, a 3-year-old girl who was in a stroller died, and the mother and her 5-year-old daughter were seriously injured and transported to the hospital, where they are currently receiving treatment. The youngest son, who was also in the stroller with the deceased girl, was reportedly not seriously injured as the stroller was thrown to the side of the vehicle.

The police believe that Mr. A, who was stopped due to traffic congestion right in front of the crosswalk at the time of the accident, started moving the vehicle without noticing the family, causing the accident. Police investigations confirmed that the family had paused to look around while crossing the crosswalk because vehicles kept passing in the opposite lane.

The four-member mother and daughters stopped in the middle of the crosswalk as vehicles kept passing on the opposite lane at the time of the accident. / Photo by MBC Broadcasting Capture

Mr. A told the police, "I could not see the family in front of the vehicle (from the driver's seat)."

Additionally, the police have requested the attendance of five drivers, including four vehicles that did not stop before entering the crosswalk from the opposite lane at the time of the accident, and one daycare center shuttle illegally parked on the road.

Meanwhile, the school zone where this accident occurred has seen two traffic accidents causing casualties this year alone. Previously, on May 28, B (7) was seriously injured after being hit by a vehicle while crossing the street in this school zone.

At around 2:55 p.m. that day, B was hit by an SUV while crossing the crosswalk and suffered a severe head injury. After being transferred to a large hospital, B recovered enough to walk after about five months of treatment.

It is reported that B happened to witness the accident involving the four-member mother and children on the 17th while returning to elementary school. The grandfather, who witnessed another accident at the same location where his grandson had been injured, was said to have covered his grandson’s eyes and sat down in despair, adding to the sorrow.

The police and others plan to improve facilities on the accident road by installing traffic signals, adding cameras to crack down on illegal parking, marking no-parking zones on the road surface, and adding speed bumps.

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