An elderly passenger gets off a bus in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province. The passenger was seriously injured after the bus pulled away with its doors still open. (Yonhap)
An elderly passenger gets off a bus in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province. The passenger was seriously injured after the bus pulled away with its doors still open. (Yonhap)

A city bus in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, suddenly pulled away with its doors open while a passenger in their 80s was still getting off. The passenger was thrown onto the road and left with serious injuries.

The accident occurred around 9:15 a.m. Monday at a bus stop in Cheongjeon-dong, Jecheon, when the passenger, identified only by the surname A, fell from the bus while getting off.

A, who had difficulty moving, had been holding onto a handrail inside the bus while descending the exit steps. Before A's feet touched the ground, however, the bus reportedly pulled away suddenly with its door still open.

Thrown off balance by the sudden departure, A fell straight onto the asphalt.

Footage of the accident reportedly shows the bus suddenly moving as A loses balance and falls limply out of the vehicle.

A suffered fractures to the spine and other areas, received a diagnosis requiring six weeks of treatment, and is currently being treated at a hospital.

A's family said the problem was not only the accident itself but also the bus driver's response afterward.

"The bus driver did not call 119 right after the accident," A's family claimed, adding, "He left A at the scene for about 18 minutes without taking any action, before eventually transporting A to a hospital emergency room using a company vehicle."

Ultimately, A's family filed a report with police, asking them to determine whether the driver was at fault.

The bus company said it believes the driver simply failed to notice the passenger getting off.

"The driver apparently did not see A getting off and started the bus," the company said, adding, "Since the accident, we have instructed all of our drivers to make sure every passenger has gotten off before departing."

On the failure to call 119 immediately after the accident, the company added, "The driver was apparently too shaken by the sudden accident to make the call," and said, "We will provide all necessary support for A's speedy recovery."

Police plan to look into the exact circumstances of the accident, including whether the driver was negligent.


betterj@heraldcorp.com