19-Year-Old Mercedes Driver Dies After Crashing Into Tree in Front of Daejeon Elementary School

No Additional Casualties Reported
Detailed Examination Requested from the National Forensic Service

A car crashed into a roadside tree in front of an elementary school in Daejeon, resulting in the driver’s death.

Officials from Namdaemun Police Station visiting the hospital where the driver involved in the City Hall Station traffic accident was admitted. This is an unrelated stock photo. Photo by Yonhap News.

At around 8:44 a.m. on July 22, a Mercedes-Benz sedan driven by Mr. A (19) struck a roadside tree near the main gate of an elementary school in Dunsan-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon.

Mr. A sustained serious injuries from the accident and was transported to a nearby hospital, but ultimately died. Although the accident occurred during school commuting hours, no additional casualties have been reported.

The police plan to analyze closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the area surrounding the scene. They also intend to request a detailed examination by the National Forensic Service to determine whether the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Meanwhile, according to the "2025 School Safety Accident and Compensation Statistics" published by the Korea School Safety Mutual Aid Association, a total of 220,136 school safety accidents occurred at kindergartens, elementary, middle, high, special, and other schools last year—an increase of 4% (8,486 cases) compared to the previous year (211,650 cases).

The Korea School Safety Mutual Aid Association is an institution established under the "Act on the Prevention and Compensation of School Safety Accidents" to provide swift and appropriate compensation to students, faculty, and participants in educational activities who suffer damage from school safety accidents. Enrollment is mandatory for kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools, special schools, and lifelong education facilities.

By type, collision (including traffic accidents) was the most common with 94,846 cases (43.1%), followed by self-inflicted impact injuries such as sprains and twists with 51,842 cases (23.5%), falls with 47,661 cases (21.6%), and scratches, cuts, lacerations, or punctures with 10,054 cases (4.6%).

In response, a Ministry of Education official stated, "We will make every effort to ensure that all members of the school community can enjoy a safe school life."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.