The chain-reaction crash involving city buses on a road near a bus stop in Imae-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, at about 7:34 a.m. (KST) on November 11 began at Areum Intersection.

According to police and fire authorities, a city bus driven by a 65-year-old man, identified only as A, plowed into 32 vehicles in succession near Areum Intersection in Imae-dong. They included four buses ahead of it, a truck and 27 passenger cars. The bus then hit the center divider and stopped. It reportedly struck vehicles along a stretch of about 100 to 150 meters.

A part-time worker at a convenience store near where the crash began, also identified only as A, described the scene. "I was so shocked that I still can't speak," the worker said. The worker had been stocking a display stand in front of the store for Pepero Day. As the worker finished and stepped back inside, there was a sudden series of loud crashes. "I looked out the window and saw the city bus pushing cars along at high speed," the worker said.

Police believe the bus struck a traffic light near Areum Intersection and then kept going, pushing the fallen signal ahead of it. The bus traveled about 100 meters that way. The traffic light came to rest beyond the bus stop, in front of a nearby cellphone shop.

Fortunately, no one was passing by when the traffic light fell toward the sidewalk. B, who owns a nearby cellphone store, said, "I think the bus hitting the traffic light and pushing it along helped slow the bus down."

The bus then continued toward Beolmal Intersection, hitting vehicles ahead of it. It traveled about another 300 meters before it struck the center divider and stopped. Police said they are investigating whether the bus hit the traffic light first or hit other vehicles before striking it.

C, who runs a bakery across the road from the crash site, said, "I opened the store early in the morning and witnessed the crash." C compared the noise to an explosion. "I was getting the store ready to open when I heard loud bangs, like bombs falling," C said. "I wondered what was going on and went outside, and the bus was still pushing cars along."

The scene was chaotic immediately after the crash. A city bus that the offending bus hit from behind was crushed beyond recognition, and vehicle debris was scattered across the road. The bumper of the bus that caused the crash was also badly mangled. The traffic light lying on the sidewalk appeared to show how devastating the crash had been.

Dashcam footage from the scene, obtained by News1, captured the crash in full. In the video, the bus barrels ahead at a speed unusually fast for city driving and first hits a passenger car in front of it. The bus does not stop after that initial impact. It keeps going straight, pushing vehicles ahead of it one after another. The vehicles it struck had been stopped at a signal and were hit in an instant.

The bus briefly crossed the center line, then moved back to the right and kept going straight, shoving the vehicles in front of it. The footage also shows cars in the opposite lane trying to get out of the way as the bus crossed the center line and pushed vehicles toward them.

The number of injured people confirmed by fire authorities rose to 70. Ten were seriously injured, and 60 suffered minor injuries. No deaths were reported.

After the crash, fire authorities sent 45 personnel, including 119 Medic One, and 18 pieces of equipment, and worked with police to clear the scene. Traffic was restricted between Areum and Beolmal intersections during the response, causing severe congestion during the morning commute.

All of the backed-up stretches have since cleared, and traffic is moving smoothly. Crews are still working to restore the traffic light pole near Areum Intersection.

In his initial statement, the bus driver reportedly claimed the brakes had failed. A breathalyzer test detected no alcohol.

A police official said, "The bus driver was taken to a hospital, so we have not yet been able to confirm the details of how the crash happened." The official added, "We need to investigate whether it was sudden unintended acceleration or the driver's mistake."

Police are investigating whether the driver was under the influence of drugs. They also plan to send the bus to the National Forensic Service to check for defects.

The chain-reaction crash involving city buses on a road near a bus stop in Imae-dong, Bun …

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