Police officer dashes across eight-lane highway to save driver in Seoul
Published: 17 Sep. 2025, 13:54
![Inspector Lee Seung-jae of the Gangseo Police Precinct’s traffic safety division runs towards the vehicle of a driver who called emergency response on Olympic-daero on Aug. 31. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/09/17/95fa33ba-c781-4a9a-b88c-1eda91038ad3.jpg)
Inspector Lee Seung-jae of the Gangseo Police Precinct’s traffic safety division runs towards the vehicle of a driver who called emergency response on Olympic-daero on Aug. 31. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY]
A police officer is being praised for running across Olympic-daero, an eight-lane highway, in Seoul to save a driver in distress.
Inspector Lee Seung-jae of the Gangseo Police Precinct’s traffic safety division responded to a call at 4:21 p.m. on Aug. 30, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Wednesday. The report came from a man in his 60s, who said, “I feel unwell while driving. Please help,” after stopping his car in the first lane near the southern end of Gayang Bridge in Gangseo District.
Sensing the urgency of the situation, Lee parked his patrol car nearby and ran toward the driver’s vehicle instead of turning his car around, judging that driving would take too long.
Waving his arms to alert other drivers, Lee sprinted about 200 meters (656 feet) along Olympic-daero before reaching the car stopped in the first lane. Inside, the driver was experiencing dizziness and chest pain. Lee quickly moved him to the passenger's seat and drove the man’s car himself to the emergency room of a university hospital.
![Inspector Lee Seung-jae of the Gangseo Police Precinct’s traffic safety division helps a driver who called in an emergency response into a hospital [SEOUL METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/09/17/eee503da-19f0-4f6e-a524-4069c2eaaf7e.jpg)
Inspector Lee Seung-jae of the Gangseo Police Precinct’s traffic safety division helps a driver who called in an emergency response into a hospital [SEOUL METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY]
Thanks to the rapid response, the driver survived. After regaining his strength, he said, “I thought I might have to say my last words, but when I saw the police officer running toward me, I thought I might live,” leaving a message of gratitude.
“All I thought about was getting there as quickly as possible,” Lee said, speaking to Yonhap News Agency. “I only did what I was supposed to do, but receiving such thanks makes me feel proud and deeply moved.”
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.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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