Seventysomething Woman Dies After Being Hit by Private Ambulance Running Red Light with Siren On

No Patient Was Being Transported in the Ambulance at the Time
Driver Claims He Was "On the Way to the Hospital to Pick Up a Patient"

A woman in her seventies died after being hit by a privately operated ambulance that ran a red light while she was crossing a crosswalk.

The Jungnang Police Station in Seoul announced on May 15, 2026, that they have booked a man in his twenties, identified as Mr. A, the driver of the private ambulance, on charges of causing death by violating the Special Act on Traffic Accident Handling and are currently investigating the case.

Mr. A is suspected of hitting the woman in her seventies at a crosswalk near Sangbong Station in Jungnang-gu, Seoul, at around 2:20 p.m. the previous day.

Ambulance. (This photo is not directly related to the article.) Pixabay Pixabay

The victim was transported to a hospital immediately after the accident but ultimately died. It has been determined that Mr. A caused the accident while running a red light with the siren on.

It was reported that there was no patient being transported in the vehicle at the time. During police questioning, Mr. A stated that he was on his way to the hospital to pick up a patient. The police are investigating the exact circumstances of the accident.

Previously, last month in Wonju, Gangwon Province, a private ambulance collided with a passenger car. As a result of this accident, three people—the private ambulance driver, a passenger in the ambulance, and the passenger car driver—were injured, and a middle school student who was walking on the sidewalk became involved in the accident and was killed. Following this, petitions were submitted calling for stronger oversight of private ambulances and improved intersection safety measures.

At the time, the petitioner stated, "The private ambulance violated speed limits and lane markings simply because it is classified as an emergency vehicle, even though it was not transporting an emergency patient. The result was the tragic death of a child. According to the police, the passenger car also entered the intersection during a red light—this was a man-made disaster caused by the selfishness of both drivers."

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