Taxi driver in 70s booked after teen motorcyclist critically hurt in Seoul
In short
A taxi driver in his 70s has been booked by Seoul police on suspicion of causing injury after his taxi collided with a motorcycle at a residential intersection in Eunpyeong district, police said. The motorcyclist, a male in his teens, was in cardiac arrest at the scene, regained a pulse after being taken to hospital and remains in critical condition. Police said the driver was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs and are reviewing CCTV and black box footage to establish how the crash happened.
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Seoul Western Police Station has booked a male taxi driver in his 70s on suspicion of causing injury under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents, after his taxi collided with a motorcycle in Eunpyeong district, Seoul, police said. The collision took place at about 2 a.m. on October 5 at an intersection near Saejeol Station. The motorcyclist, a male in his teens, was critically injured. [ 1 , 4 ]
According to police, the teenager was in cardiac arrest when emergency crews arrived. Fire authorities had been called out by a report that a person was trapped under a vehicle, and he was freed and taken to a nearby hospital, where his pulse returned. He remains in a critical condition. Police said the motorcyclist's account of the collision has not been established because he is still being treated. [ 1 , 4 ]
Police said the two vehicles were travelling straight when they collided: the motorcycle towards Saejeol Station from Seosin Elementary School, and the taxi towards Sinseo Elementary School from Soongsil Korean Medicine Hospital. The crash site is a residential back street with no lane markings or traffic lights. Police said the taxi driver was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time. [ 1 , 4 ]
Dong-A Ilbo reported that no signal violation or speeding applied in the case, while Hankook Ilbo and Dong-A Ilbo both said police intend to analyse nearby closed-circuit television and vehicle black box footage to establish how the two vehicles entered the intersection, their speeds and where fault lies. No finding on the cause of the crash or on fault has been reported. [ 1 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The case turns on fault at an uncontrolled residential intersection, which police say they will determine from video footage and vehicle speeds. Because the motorcyclist is still being treated, his account of the collision has not yet been established, leaving the sequence of events unresolved.
Key facts
- The collision happened at about 2 a.m. on October 5 at an intersection near Saejeol Station in Eunpyeong district, Seoul. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Seoul Western Police Station booked a male taxi driver in his 70s on suspicion of causing injury under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents. [ 1 , 4 ]
- The motorcyclist, a male in his teens, was in cardiac arrest at the scene, was taken to a nearby hospital, regained a pulse and remains in critical condition. [ 1 , 4 ]
- The intersection is a residential back street with no lane markings or traffic lights. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Police said the taxi driver had not consumed alcohol or taken drugs. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Police plan to examine nearby CCTV and vehicle black box footage to establish how both vehicles entered the intersection, their speeds and where fault lies. [ 1 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- A taxi driver in his 70s was booked by Seoul Western Police Station on suspicion of causing injury in the Eunpyeong district collision. [ 1 , 4 ]
- The motorcyclist, a male in his teens, was critically injured and remains in a serious condition after briefly going into cardiac arrest. [ 1 , 4 ]
- The crash occurred at about 2 a.m. on October 5 at an intersection near Saejeol Station in a residential area without traffic lights or lane markings. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Police said the taxi driver was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time. [ 1 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- The exact cause of the collision and how fault will be apportioned. Police said they are still analysing CCTV and black box footage to establish how the vehicles entered the intersection and their speeds, and no conclusion has been reported.
- Whether the taxi driver committed a signal violation or was speeding. Only one outlet states that no signal violation or speeding applied, while other reports say the intersection has no traffic lights, and police say speed and fault are still being investigated.
- How the teenager came to be riding through the intersection. Police said this has not been confirmed because he is still receiving treatment.
- The motorcyclist's current medical status beyond the description that he is critically ill. No document provides a later update on his condition.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- A taxi and a motorcycle collide at an intersection near Saejeol Station in Eunpyeong district, Seoul; the teenage motorcyclist is in cardiac arrest and is taken to a nearby hospital, where his pulse returns. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reports that police have booked the taxi driver in his 70s on suspicion of causing injury. [ 1 ]
- Newsis reports the taxi-motorcycle collision in a residential area of Eunpyeong district and the teenager's critical condition. [ 2 ]
- Seoul Shinmun reports that a teenager on a motorcycle was critically injured after being struck by a taxi driven by a man in his 70s. [ 3 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo reports the police booking and that the driver was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and that police will examine black box footage. [ 4 ]