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Man dies after being hit by 4 cars while jaywalking

Published: 13 Aug. 2025, 16:10

A median strip is damaged on a road in Bongnae-dong, Yeongdo District, Busan, on Aug. 12. [BUSAN METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY]

A man died after being hit by four cars in succession while jaywalking in Busan, prompting a police investigation.

The incident occurred at around 7:26 p.m. Tuesday on a road in Bongnae-dong, Yeongdo District, according to Yeongdo Police Precinct in Busan on Wednesday. The man fell backward while attempting to cross over a guard barrier in the middle of the road. A driver in a sedan struck him but left the scene without taking any action.

Three more vehicles — two sedans and an SUV — subsequently ran over the man. None of the four drivers stopped to provide assistance.

The victim, who lay on the road, was later discovered by other passing motorists and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police said they have identified the drivers who fled after the crash. The first driver told investigators, “I felt I hit something, but I didn’t know it was a person.” The other three drivers also claimed they did not realize they had struck a person. Police confirmed that none of the four drivers were under the influence of alcohol.

Investigators are treating the case as a hit-and-run and are working to determine whether the drivers intended to flee. Under Korean law, hit-and-run charges depend on whether a driver recognized the accident and either made rescue efforts or intended to leave the scene.

“Once the autopsy and National Forensic Service analysis reveal the exact cause of death, we will decide whether to apply hit-and-run charges to the four drivers and how to assign fault,” a police official said. “We are also reviewing dashboard camera footage from the drivers’ vehicles to determine whether there was intent to flee.”

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 staff.
BY LEE EUN-JI [[email protected]]