BUNDANG, South Korea - A tragic accident occurred at a senior community center in Bundang, south of Seoul, on Monday, resulting in the death of an elderly woman and injuries to three others. The incident involved a car driven by a 91-year-old man.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the accident happened around noon in the parking lot of the senior community center. The driver, identified only by his surname Park, was reversing his vehicle when it struck four elderly pedestrians who were heading towards the center for a singing class. An 80-something-year-old woman was rushed to the hospital in cardiac arrest and was later pronounced dead. The three other victims, aged in their 70s and 80s, are currently receiving medical treatment, with one in serious condition.
The driver also suffered back pain and was taken to a hospital. Initial investigations by the police suggest that the driver accidentally accelerated while the car was in reverse gear, causing significant impact that knocked down metal parking poles before hitting the victims. There was no evidence of impaired driving found at the scene.
Police are conducting a thorough investigation into the exact cause of the crash, aided by surveillance footage from the site. The incident highlights ongoing concerns regarding road safety involving elderly drivers, with the number of accidents caused by drivers aged 65 or older reaching 34,652 in 2022, the highest recorded since such data began being published.