“Don’t kill innocent people” ... Wrong-way driver crashes into family during Chuseok holiday; at-fault driver was born in 1953 [Video]

[Financial News] A family returning home after the Chuseok holiday was hit by a vehicle that crossed the center line and drove against traffic. The daughter, who was riding as a passenger, suffered serious injuries, including severe wounds to her face that required 24 stitches, prompting sympathy.
Newsis reported on the 8th that the previous day, a post titled “An accident happened while I was taking my eldest daughter home after the Chuseok holiday” was uploaded to the online community Bobaedream, along with dashcam footage showing what happened.
The author, identified as A, said, “After the Chuseok holiday ended, I was driving on a four-lane road with my family to take my eldest daughter home when we collided head-on with a car that crossed the center line and came speeding toward us from the opposite direction.”
A and A’s wife fortunately escaped serious injury in the crash, but their daughter, who was in the back seat, was badly hurt. A expressed deep anguish, saying, “My daughter suffered severe wounds to her face and other areas and needed as many as 24 stitches.”
According to A, the driver of the at-fault vehicle was confirmed to have been born in 1953 and to be in their early 70s. A pleaded, “Please seriously consider giving up your license if your sensory and cognitive abilities have declined to the point that driving is difficult,” adding, “Don’t kill innocent people; please drive safely.”
People who saw the account and video criticized the driver responsible and offered comfort to the injured family, commenting, “It hit the victim’s car before there was even time to avoid it,” “A terrifying moment that could easily have turned into a fatal crash involving the whole family,” and “Wishing your daughter a speedy recovery without any facial scarring.”
The crash has also reignited public debate over measures to ensure the safety of elderly drivers. From the perspective of oncoming drivers, it is virtually impossible to avoid a vehicle driving against traffic, putting them at high risk of a major disaster.
According to the Traffic Accident Analysis System of the Korea Road Traffic Authority, drivers aged 65 or older caused 42,369 traffic accidents in 2024. That accounted for 21.6% of all traffic accidents (196,349).
Despite the risk of accidents, the government’s voluntary license surrender program has yet to produce clear results. Last year, the rate of license surrender among drivers aged 65 or older stood at just 2.2%. Many depend on driving for their livelihood, and for older people living in rural areas with limited public transportation, giving up a license immediately restricts their mobility, which is directly tied to everyday life.
Experts say it is urgent to develop more precise measures rather than impose blanket restrictions based solely on age. There are calls to introduce a system that can regularly and objectively assess actual driving ability, cognitive function and health status, while also providing tailored transportation support to ensure mobility for older people who surrender their licenses. Calls to expand the use of safety-assist technologies, including pedal misapplication prevention devices and advanced emergency braking systems (AEBS), are also gaining traction.
[email protected] Moon Young-jin Reporter