A 7-year-old elementary school student was killed after being struck by a car driven by a man in his 70s in a school zone.
According to Yonhap News, the incident occurred at 4:03 p.m. on October 15 in a road near the Chamber of Commerce in Sangmun-dong, Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, when an Action sports utility vehicle (SUV) hit the second grader, identified as A. The severely injured A was transported to a hospital but was pronounced dead at 5:16 p.m.
The accident took place in a school zone near an elementary school.
The driver, a man in his 70s, reportedly struck A while making a right turn at an intersection with a yellow flashing signal. At the time, A was crossing a crosswalk that did not have a traffic signal.
Under the Min-sik Law, drivers involved in traffic accidents resulting in the death of children under 13 in school zones may face enhanced penalties. The law stipulates that if a driver violates their duty of safe driving and causes the death of a child in a school zone, they could face life imprisonment or a minimum of three years in prison.
In school zones, vehicle speed is limited to 30 kilometers per hour, and even if a driver adheres to this speed, they must fulfill comprehensive duties of care, including maintaining awareness of pedestrians and the ability to stop immediately.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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