Driver, elderly residents of the home suffer injuries
A car careened off a road and crashed into a first-floor apartment balcony in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, Sunday evening, injuring the driver and two elderly residents.
According to the Cheonan Dongnam Fire Station and Cheonan Dongnam Police Station, the incident occurred at approximately 6:42 p.m. in the city’s Mokcheon-eup neighborhood.
Authorities said the vehicle struck two parked cars before plunging off the roadside embankment and smashing through the balcony of an apartment located downhill of the street.
Emergency services responded to a 119 call placed by a resident who reported, “A car has crashed into the balcony. The person inside appears unresponsive.”
Rescue personnel discovered a 57-year-old driver inside the vehicle with serious injuries. She was immediately transported to a nearby hospital. Police confirmed she had not consumed alcohol, and her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. She remains in intensive care.
An elderly couple in their 80s who lived in the affected apartment also sustained minor injuries but chose to seek medical treatment independently and were not transported by ambulance.
A police official explained that the apartment building is situated below street level, which likely contributed to the car’s downward trajectory after hitting the parked vehicles.
"We’re still working to determine whether this was due to mechanical failure or driver error. We haven’t been able to question the driver yet, as she is still in intensive care," the official said.
The investigation into the exact cause of the crash is ongoing.
mjh@heraldcorp.com
