Chinese woman drives wrong way, causing 1 death and 3 injuries

A six-vehicle collision on the Gyeongin Expressway in Incheon, involving a car driven by a Chinese woman in her 40s who was driving in the wrong direction on the exit ramp, resulted in one death and three injuries.

According to the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency Highway Patrol, a compact car driven by a Chinese national in her 40s collided with a van after driving in the wrong direction for about 200 meters through the exit ramp at Bupyeong Interchange at 5:20 a.m. on Monday. The car attempted to turn right to join the main line and collided with an oncoming van. Five other vehicles, including a 1-ton cargo truck following the van, were unable to avoid the vehicle in front of them, resulting in a six-vehicle pileup.

In the accident, the driver of the 1-ton truck, a man in his 70s, went into cardiac arrest and was taken to the hospital by paramedics but later died. Three people in the other vehicle were also injured and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Their injuries are reportedly not life-threatening. The Seoul-bound section of the Gyeongin Expressway was clogged for more than two hours due to the clearing of the crash.

The police investigation determined that the Chinese driver had misunderstood the navigation instructions at the time and entered the exit ramp. “I was on my way to work, and after entering the highway exit ramp, I realized I had misread the navigation system and tried to exit through the highway,” the driver reportedly told police. She had no passengers and was not found to be under the influence of alcohol.


인천=공승배 기자 ksb@donga.com