“Shouldn’t Have Gotten Out of the Car” ... Elderly Couple Killed While Dealing With Crash on Yeongdong Expressway

[Financial News] A secondary crash occurred late at night on the Yeongdong Expressway, killing a couple in their 60s and 70s who had gotten out of their vehicle to check on a rear-end collision when they were struck by a vehicle coming up behind them.
According to police and fire authorities on the 24th, a rear-end collision occurred at around 2:20 a.m. that day near Saemal Interchange (IC) on the Gangneung-bound side of the Yeongdong Expressway in Ucheon-myeon, Hoengseong County, Gangwon State.
Immediately after the first crash, Mr. A, a husband in his 70s, and his wife, Ms. B, in her 60s, got out of a vehicle carrying their family to check the damage and deal with the accident.
While they were standing on the road, a vehicle approaching from behind slammed into the stopped vehicle involved in the earlier crash. The impact struck the couple, who were standing behind the vehicle, and killed them at the scene.
Three people, including passengers who had remained in the vehicle, also suffered injuries of varying severity. They were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they are receiving treatment.
Police believe the driver of the following vehicle caused the crash after failing to see the vehicle involved in the earlier accident and the pedestrians standing there in the dark road conditions late at night.
A police official said, “We are investigating the exact circumstances of the crash by comprehensively analyzing whether the driver of the following vehicle failed to keep a proper lookout or was speeding, along with footage from the vehicle’s dashcam and road CCTV cameras.”
Meanwhile, police and road safety experts urged motorists to turn on their hazard lights, open the trunk, and immediately evacuate to the shoulder or a safe area beyond the guardrail if a first crash or vehicle breakdown occurs on an expressway, then report it to 112 or the Korea Expressway Corporation to avoid a fatal secondary crash.

[email protected] Moon Young-jin Reporter