19-year-old driver dies after car strikes roadside tree outside elementary school during morning commute

A teenage driver died Wednesday after his car struck a roadside tree in front of an elementary school in Daejeon during the morning commute.

The accident occurred at around 8:44 a.m. Wednesday near the main gate of an elementary school in Dunsan-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon, when a Mercedes-Benz driven by a 19-year-old identified only as A crashed into a street tree, Yonhap reported.

A suffered critical injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died. No other casualties were reported, despite the crash occurring during the school arrival hour.

Police are reviewing CCTV footage from around the scene and plan to request a forensic analysis from the National Forensic Service to determine whether the driver had been under the influence of alcohol or drugs.