A car driving the wrong way hit pedestrians, killing at least nine people and injuring four others on Monday in Seoul, South Korea.
At least nine people were killed and four injured when a car driving the wrong way hit pedestrians near Seoul City Hall on Monday, police said. Six people died at the scene, and three others were pronounced dead upon arrival at a hospital, firefighter Kim Chun-soo said, AFP reported.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that a 68-year-old driver plowed into a crowd waiting at a red light. He was driving the wrong way and hit two other vehicles before hitting the pedestrians, according to Yonhap. The man was arrested by police after the incident, said Kim Suk-hwan, director of security and transportation for Jung-gu district.
An investigation has been opened to determine whether drugs or alcohol were involved, and whether it could have been accidental acceleration by the driver, Kim said. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon called it “a very sad accident” when he visited the scene, according to the city government.
Transport accidents with multiple casualties are rare in South Korea, which has generally well-maintained roads and vehicles.
