[Anchor]

Two elementary school students playing in an apartment complex during the weekend were struck by a car and sustained serious injuries. They were riding children's toy cars, known as "swing cars."

Reporter Im Jihyeon has the story.

[Reporter]

At approximately 2:00 p.m. today (June 28), an urgent 119 emergency call was received from an apartment complex in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province.

[Fire Department Official: The report came in saying, "Two students are trapped under a car." One was in cardiac arrest, and the other had visible injuries.]

The two 8-year-old elementary students, who were friends, were playing in the complex on toy cars when they were struck by a passenger vehicle driven by a woman in her 50s.

One of the students, who was hit first, was transported to the hospital in cardiac arrest. Although their heartbeat was restored during CPR, it is reported that they underwent surgery without regaining consciousness.

The other student also suffered a head injury and is receiving treatment at a hospital, but their condition is not considered life-threatening.

Police believe the accident occurred because the driver failed to see the children as they emerged from the left while the vehicle was moving straight.

The "swing cars" the children were riding at the time of the accident remain near a trash collection area.

Shocked by the news of the accident, apartment residents have placed letters and flower pots near the scene to pray for the children's recovery.

[Witness: There is nothing here. There are no stop signs, and no signs telling drivers to slow down to 20 km/h within the complex... Coming here, I realized how dangerous it is.]

No signs of alcohol or drug use were found in the driver involved in the accident.

Police are currently investigating the exact cause of the accident based on witness statements and dashcam footage.

(Reported by Kim Min-cheol | Video by Shin Se-eun | Graphics by Kim Min-young)