Marathon Runner in 20s Declared Brain Dead After Being Hit by Truck Driven by Man in 80s

Truck Driver States, "I Didn't See the Person"

A tragic accident occurred during a marathon in North Chungcheong Province, where a leading participant was struck by a truck and declared brain dead.

According to the police and fire authorities on November 10, at around 10:00 a.m. that day, a 1-ton Porter truck hit a 25-year-old elite marathon runner, identified as A, who belongs to the Cheongju City Hall workplace athletics team, during a marathon event held in Okcheon County, North Chungcheong Province. A suffered severe injuries and was transferred to a general hospital in Daejeon, but is reportedly unconscious.

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The accident occurred when the Porter, which was traveling in the first lane, suddenly changed to the second lane and hit the runner from behind. The marathon course (road) consisted of two lanes: one was open to regular vehicle traffic, while the other was restricted for marathon participants.

At the time of the accident, A was running at the very front, and a police patrol car was escorting the runners approximately 20 to 30 meters ahead. The truck driver, a man in his 80s identified as B, was not under the influence of alcohol and reportedly told police that he "did not see the person."

A joined the Cheongju City Hall team in August this year and had emerged as a promising athlete by achieving excellent results in various marathon events.

The marathon was an inter-city and county competition organized by the North Chungcheong Track and Field Federation and others, scheduled to run for three days starting that day. The first day’s course was about 77.5 kilometers, starting in Yeongdong County, passing through Okcheon County and Boeun County, and finishing in Cheongju City, with around 300 participants. After the accident, the organizers immediately canceled the event, and the police are investigating the exact circumstances of the incident.

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