SUV rams taxi, plows into daycare center; driver in his 80s claims sudden acceleration

A driver in his 80s was booked by police after crashing into a daycare center during morning drop-off hours, following a collision with a taxi. Teachers and children were inside the facility at the time, but no one was injured.

According to the Gwangju Western Police Station, an SUV driven by a man in his 80s, identified only by the surname initial A, struck the side of a moving taxi at around 9 a.m. Wednesday on a road in Chipyeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju.

After the collision, the SUV crossed the center line, mounted the sidewalk and came to a stop only after ramming the entrance of a nearby daycare center.

The daycare center had no separate yard or playground, and its front entrance opened directly onto the sidewalk.

Five to six people, including teachers and children, were inside the center at the time. They were in a classroom away from the point of impact, and none were hurt.

The driver was neither drunk nor unlicensed. Police confirmed the crash occurred as he merged onto the road after exiting an underground parking garage in a building across from the daycare center.

The driver claims the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own.

Police booked him on charges of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents — specifically for causing bodily injury — and are investigating the exact circumstances of the crash.