70s Driver Dies in 'Caught-In Accident' While Trying to Get Highway Toll Ticket

Passenger door caught between vehicle body during driving
No passengers present... Driver's poor handling is the cause

A driver who opened the car door to take a toll ticket at a highway tollgate became trapped between the car door and the vehicle body and died in the accident.

According to Incheon Nonhyeon Police Station on the 26th, a male driver in his 70s, Mr. A, got caught between the door and the body of the SUV he was driving at the Nam Incheon tollgate on the 2nd Gyeongin Expressway in Unyeon-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, around 12:20 PM the previous day.

Passenger car stock photo. [Photo by Yonhap News]

Firefighters who responded to the report rescued Mr. A, who was trapped and unable to move, but he was already in cardiac arrest. Mr. A received emergency treatment and was transported to the hospital but ultimately passed away.

Police investigation revealed that there were no passengers in the vehicle Mr. A was driving. After stopping at the tollgate, Mr. A opened the door to take the toll ticket without lowering the window, but his foot slipped off the brake, causing the side of the vehicle to hit the tollgate wall and trapping him between the door.

Based on tollgate CCTV footage and witness statements, the police confirmed that the automatic transmission of Mr. A’s vehicle was in the drive (D) position at the time of the accident.

The police concluded that Mr. A, who was elderly and had limited mobility, suffered the accident due to unfamiliarity with vehicle operation and handed over the body to the bereaved family.

A police official said, "We are investigating the circumstances of the accident using footage from nearby vehicles and black boxes," and urged, "When approaching an unmanned toll payment machine or paying the toll outside the vehicle, the gear should be set to 'P' or 'N.'"

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