Seoul, Dec 19 (IANS) A woman in her 60s died after crashing her car into a hagwon bus while driving on the wrong side of the road in western Seoul, police said Friday.
The car first crashed into a roadside tree and subsequently into the bus operated by a private education institution at an intersection in Yeongdeungpo Ward, western Seoul, at 3:25 pm, killing the driver, police said, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The bus driver and a teacher inside the bus were injured, while four pedestrians sustained minor injuries. No student was on the bus during the time of the incident, police added.
Investigators plan to look into the cause of the crash by analyzing security cameras installed in the area and the black boxes of other vehicles.
They have also requested forensic authorities for an analysis of the crashed vehicle and an autopsy of the deceased driver.
Earlier in November, police said they have sought an arrest warrant for the driver of a deadly car accident on an island off the southern resort island of Jeju that claimed three lives and injured nearly a dozen people.
On November 24, a rental van driven by the 62-year-old plowed into pedestrians before ramming into a signpost on Udo Island, shortly after disembarking from a ferry.
A 60-something woman inside the vehicle and two pedestrians — a man in his 70s and another in his 60s — were killed, while 11 people were injured, according to authorities.
Police said they requested the warrant due to concerns of flight and evidence destruction after detaining the driver on charges of causing the fatal accident hours after the crash.
According to witness accounts, the vehicle suddenly accelerated shortly after it got off the ferry and travelled about 150 meters before slamming into the signpost.
An initial police investigation found the driver was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.
The driver has reportedly blamed sudden unintended acceleration for the cause of the accident.
A police official said they have yet to find signs of sudden unintended acceleration, noting that footage from surveillance cameras near the accident showed the vehicle’s brake lights did not come on.
