Car crash injures 10-year-old near Gongju elementary school

A 10-year-old girl was seriously injured Saturday after a sedan rear-ended another car in a school zone and then surged onto a sidewalk, striking her near an elementary school in Gongju, South Chungcheong.

A crash scene in which a car driven by a man in his 60s rear-ends another vehicle and then jumps onto the sidewalk, seriously injuring a 10-year-old pedestrian on Jan. 17. [YONHAP]

A 10-year-old girl was seriously injured Saturday after a sedan rear-ended another car in a school zone and then surged onto a sidewalk, striking her near an elementary school in Gongju, South Chungcheong.

The crash happened at around 12:50 p.m. at an intersection in front of Shingwan Elementary School in Singwan-dong, according to police. A Hyundai Avante hit the rear of a Hyundai Grandeur and then veered onto the sidewalk, running into the girl before coming to a stop only after crashing into a commercial building.

The girl, who was walking on the sidewalk with a friend, suffered serious injuries, including fractures to both legs, and was taken to a hospital in Daejeon. The Avante’s driver and passenger, as well as the Grandeur’s driver, in their 70s, were also injured and are receiving treatment.

Police believe the driver failed to keep a proper lookout in the child protection zone, where the speed limit is 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) per hour, and are investigating the exact circumstances of the crash. She has reportedly claimed sudden unintended acceleration during questioning.

The driver was booked on suspicion of causing injury under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents, a police spokesperson said, adding that alcohol was not believed to be a factor so far.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]