▲ The traffic accident that occurred in Wonju last April
Police have referred the drivers involved in a fatal accident last April in Wonju, Gangwon Province, to the prosecution. The accident occurred when a private ambulance, which was on its way to transport a patient, collided with a passenger car, resulting in the death of a middle school student walking on the sidewalk.
The Wonju Police Station announced today (July 1) that they have referred the private ambulance driver, identified as A, to the prosecution without detention on charges of causing death under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents. The driver of the Sonata passenger car, identified as B, was also referred without detention on charges of causing death and injury under the same act, as well as violating traffic signal regulations under the Road Traffic Act.
The accident took place at the Beopjo Intersection in Musil-dong, Wonju, at approximately 4:53 p.m. on April 6.
An investigation revealed that the private ambulance was speeding at 90 km/h while driving straight in a lane designated for right turns, while the Sonata passenger car was driving through a red light when the collision occurred.
Although there was no patient on board the ambulance at the time, A and others were on their way to Gangneung Medical Center to pick up a lung cancer patient complaining of breathing difficulties and transport them to a hospital in Seoul.
The ambulance struck the sidewalk following the collision, hitting the middle school student, who was transported to a hospital but ultimately passed away.
Driver B sustained serious injuries, while A and an emergency medical technician, C, who was riding in the ambulance, suffered minor injuries.
The police initially requested an arrest warrant for A, but the prosecution requested further investigation.
This decision took into account legal precedents and opinions from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, which recognize the urgency of a vehicle even if a patient is not on board, provided it is in the process of traveling to reach a patient.
Based on this, the police applied the special provisions for emergency vehicles under the Road Traffic Act and referred the case excluding charges of reckless driving and violations of the Emergency Medical Service Act against A.
Following the accident, the city of Wonju established an all-red interval at the intersection, where traffic signals in all directions remain red for two seconds to prevent recurrence.
The city also reduced the length of the right-turn-only lane by approximately 100 meters and installed road color guidance lines to improve visibility for drivers.
The city is considering the installation of bollards at crosswalks along a 5.4 km stretch near the accident site, but plans to make a final decision after comprehensively reviewing concerns regarding the mobility rights of vulnerable road users.
(Photo: Provided by Gangwon State Fire Headquarters, Yonhap News)
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