Older driver smashes SUV into rest stop cafeteria, injuring 16
Published: 02 Jul. 2025, 14:49
Updated: 02 Jul. 2025, 19:52
![An SUV driven by a woman in her 80s remains lodged inside the Daegwallyeong Rest Stop on the Yeongdong Expressway in Gangwon on July 2. [GANGWON FIRE DEPARTMENT]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/07/02/273a743e-d8e1-49df-a9e7-83465be626c1.jpg)
An SUV driven by a woman in her 80s remains lodged inside the Daegwallyeong Rest Stop on the Yeongdong Expressway in Gangwon on July 2. [GANGWON FIRE DEPARTMENT]
Sixteen people were injured Wednesday morning when an older driver slammed an SUV into a busy highway rest stop restaurant in Gangneung, Gangwon.
The vehicle barreled into the dining area of the Daegwallyeong Rest Stop on the Yeongdong Expressway around 11:30 a.m., according to Gangneung police. Authorities said the driver, a woman in her 80s, was sober and not under the influence of drugs. She reportedly told officers she had mistakenly stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake.
A total of 16 people inside the restaurant sustained injuries ranging from minor to serious and are receiving treatment at nearby hospitals.
The crash has raised renewed concerns about elderly drivers on Korea’s roads. Police and fire officials are reviewing CCTV footage and continuing their investigation into the exact cause of the incident.
Updated, July 2, 2025: Changed identity of driver from man to woman.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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