At around 6 PM on the evening of the 2nd, during rush hour in downtown Seoul, South Korea, a taxi crash occurred. The out-of-control taxi crashed into cars before mounting the sidewalk, resulting in at least 1 death and 9 injuries. Among the injured were 4 foreign tourists.
According to various foreign media reports, in this accident, a male driver in his 70s was driving an electric taxi that first rear-ended a car waiting at a red light, struck a traffic signal pole, and under the impact collided a second time with another car, ultimately veering toward the sidewalk and hitting pedestrians. The accident caused the unfortunate death of a woman in her 40s.
Nine people were injured, including three Indonesians and one Indian. The victims suffered injuries in multiple areas such as the pelvis and knee.
This serious traffic accident happened in Seoul city center, in front of Jonggak Station. Several vehicles could be seen smashed together in the middle of the road, with images of engine hoods emitting smoke.
After the accident, the taxi briefly caught fire, but fortunately, the blaze was quickly extinguished.
Preliminary police investigations show that the male driver was not under the influence of alcohol, but whether the accident involved operational error or other factors remains to be further clarified.