100 vehicles involved in multiple collisions in Gyeonggi as roads freeze overnight
Published: 14 Jan. 2025, 15:20
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- LIM JEONG-WON
- [email protected]
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
![A multi-vehicle pileup involving 43 vehicles occurred near the Goyang Junction on the Seoul-Munsan Expressway in the Munsan direction in Goyang, Gyeonggi on Jan. 14. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/01/14/4bfa6f1f-5332-4051-baff-996e6b6b2bd1.jpg)
A multi-vehicle pileup involving 43 vehicles occurred near the Goyang Junction on the Seoul-Munsan Expressway in the Munsan direction in Goyang, Gyeonggi on Jan. 14. [YONHAP]
Over 100 vehicles were involved in collisions in the Gyeonggi area on Tuesday as snowy roads froze overnight, with at least 17 people injured as a result.
Accidents caused severe traffic congestion during the morning rush hour, with roads blocked in many places.
According to police and fire authorities on Tuesday, 16 people were injured in three accidents that morning involving 105 vehicles on the Seoul-Munsan Expressway in Goyang, Gyeonggi.
At around 5:15 a.m. Tuesday morning, 44 vehicles, including trucks, buses and passenger cars, were involved in a pileup on the Paju-bound lane near the Gusan IC in Goyang.
Fire authorities reported that the accidents included four six-car pileups, one three-car pileup, six two-car pileups, and five single-car accidents.
Most of the drivers suffered minor injuries, though one driver of a 16-ton truck suffered more serious injuries and was taken to the hospital.
At around 5:50 a.m., a 43-vehicle collision occurred near the Goyang Junction on the Seoul-Munsan Expressway, and with large parts of the road closed off for recovery, traffic was congested for about 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) in the direction of the Goyang rest area.
With traffic jammed up, at around 6:40 a.m., an additional 18-vehicle pileup occurred on the road near Heungdo IC, behind the Goyang rest area on the Seoul-Munsan Expressway.
One person was seriously injured and 14 others were slightly injured and taken to a nearby hospital.
The Seoul-Munsan Expressway continued to be congested in the Munsan direction throughout the morning due to the two accidents.
Traffic accidents believed to have been caused by frozen roads also occurred in various parts of southern Gyeonggi.
At around 6:35 a.m., seven vehicles collided on a two-lane road in Sangnok District in Ansan.
![A multi-vehicle pileup involving 43 vehicles occurred near the Goyang Junction on the Seoul-Munsan Expressway in the Munsan direction in Goyang, Gyeonggi on Jan. 14. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/01/14/81a6fba6-e768-4644-980f-f46417684f43.jpg)
A multi-vehicle pileup involving 43 vehicles occurred near the Goyang Junction on the Seoul-Munsan Expressway in the Munsan direction in Goyang, Gyeonggi on Jan. 14. [YONHAP]
One driver complained of neck pain from the accident and is receiving treatment at a hospital.
At around 8:05 a.m., cars on a three-lane road in Osan-dong in Hwaseong encountered an icy section and skidded, resulting in a 10-car pileup.
Around the same time, five cars collided on a back road in Goseok-dong in Gwonseon District, Suwon.
No casualties were reported from either accident.
On Tuesday, some areas were completely closed off to deal with the accidents, causing major traffic congestion during the morning commute.
Authorities are working to recover the damaged vehicles and spread calcium chloride on frozen sections of roads.
![A multi-vehicle pileup involving 43 vehicles occurred near the Goyang Junction on the Seoul-Munsan Expressway in the Munsan direction in Goyang, Gyeonggi on Jan. 14. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/01/14/695bd5c4-fe55-4c93-ae86-b7c3d54a2017.jpg)
A multi-vehicle pileup involving 43 vehicles occurred near the Goyang Junction on the Seoul-Munsan Expressway in the Munsan direction in Goyang, Gyeonggi on Jan. 14. [YONHAP]
Police are opening one lane from Jayu Motorway Isanpo IC to Gusan IC and two lanes out of three on the Seoul Munsan Expressway, gradually normalizing traffic flow.
Police and fire authorities pointed to the snow that fell the night before and the cold wave as the cause of the “black ice” blamed for the accidents.
Black ice is when snow or rain on the road freezes into a thin sheet of ice turned black by smoke and dust. Its color makes it difficult to detect, earning it the name “the assassin on the road.”
Snow or rain fell in some areas of Gyeonggi early Tuesday morning, and morning lows of minus 2 degrees Celsius (28.4 degrees Fahrenheit) to one degree Celsius.
“If an accident occurs due to black ice, it is highly likely to lead to multiple collisions," a police official said. "We ask drivers to please reduce your speed and drive slowly on icy roads."
The Gyeonggi Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters emphasized that drivers should be especially careful when driving following a series of accidents presumed to be caused by frozen roads this winter.
"Black ice is difficult to identify with the naked eye, and it is difficult to control the vehicle when braking suddenly or changing directions, making a major accident likely,” a fire department official said. "You should drive slowly and minimize the use of brakes in areas at risk of ice, such as tunnel entrances, overpasses, and shaded curves."
BY LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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