Passers-by, families mourn tragic deaths of 9 killed by driver in South Korea

SEOUL - Bouquets of white chrysanthemums were laid next to Exit 7 of Seoul’s City Hall Station on July 2, the rainy morning after a car crash that resulted in nine deaths in the area.

Though most of the crime scene had been cleared, remnants of the accident lingered in the morning. A temporary fence enclosed the destroyed guardrails from July 1’s car crash, and police officials remained stationed at the site.

Pedestrians passing by paused to look at the flowers, with some laying down their own and leaving notes with condolences.

“I pass by here every day on my way to work,” Ms Kang Hyun-jee, a 35-year-old office worker based in Seoul, told The Korea Herald. “I always pass by here without much thought, so I was really shocked to hear that such a tragic accident happened here last night. I made sure to stop by on my way to work today to offer my condolences to the victims lost.”

At around 9.27 pm, a vehicle crashed into pedestrians waiting at a traffic light at an intersection near Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu, central Seoul, as it drove in the wrong direction and collided with two vehicles before hitting the pedestrians. The driver is said to blame a sudden unintended acceleration for the accident and was not under the influence of alcohol, according to police officials.

Of the nine fatalities, six people were pronounced dead at the scene, while three were later pronounced dead after being transported to a hospital in cardiac arrest. Four were also left injured due to the accident but are not in critical condition.

“I heard a large bang outside -- almost like a bomb -- and saw that a severe car crash had occurred,” a manager of a restaurant near the site of the accident who wished to be identified only by his last name of Kim, told The Korea Herald.

Mr Kim added that the area is typically crowded at the time of the accident, as many people stop by for drinks or late-night meals before heading home after work.

“When I went outside, there were at least 10 people sprawled out across the floor. The car had already come to a stop close to the guardrails but had left at least three or four of the guardrails destroyed,” added Mr Kim. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

The vehicle was reportedly driving backward at the time of the accident, according to statements from several witnesses. PHOTO: REUTERS