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One dead, 12 injured, as car drives into crowd at Tongdosa Temple on Buddha’s Birthday

May 12, 2019 - 18:13 By Kim Bo-gyung
One person died and 12 were injured after a man drove into a crowd at a temple in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, police said Sunday.

The incident happened at around 12:50 p.m. on a road near the entrance to Tongdosa Temple, where the victims were celebrating Buddha’s Birthday.

The car, a SsangYong Motor Chairman sedan driven by a 75-year-old man surnamed Kim, veered off to the side of the road where people were resting and walking. 

One person died and 12 were injured after a SsangYong Motor Chairman sedan drove into a crowd near the entrance to Tongdosa Temple in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, on Buddha’s Birthday, Sunday. (Yonhap)

The deceased was a woman in her 40s. Eight other people were seriously hurt, while four sustained minor injuries.

The police said there was a significant possibility that the elderly driver had accidentally stepped on the accelerator.

They also said they could not rule out vehicle malfunction. 

By Kim Bo-gyung (lisakim425@heraldcorp.com)