A man in his 70s died after a vehicle struck him while he was handling fallen cargo on an expressway Friday, authorities said.
The accident occurred at about 5:25 a.m. on the Yeongdong Expressway in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province.
Police said three coils of metal wire loaded on a truck's trailer fell onto the road while the vehicle was in motion. The driver pulled over into the third lane and was attempting to clear the cargo when he was hit by a 4.5-ton truck approaching from behind.
He was taken to a nearby hospital in a state of cardiac arrest and later pronounced dead.
The fallen coils — each of which weighed about 2 tons — were scattered across multiple lanes, triggering additional collisions involving four other vehicles.
Police said there were no immediate signs of violations of the Road Traffic Act by the truck driver, such as drunk or unlicensed driving. No other deaths or serious injuries were reported, they added, noting that the number of casualties could change as some drivers may later report injuries.
Authorities have cleared the scene and are investigating the exact circumstances of the accident.
forestjs@heraldcorp.com
