A story about a truck driver in his 40s who rear-ended a Ferrari worth hundreds of millions of won but was let off by the owner has gone viral online. [Karrot cafe 'Auto Maniacs' screen capture]
A story about a truck driver in his 40s who rear-ended a Ferrari worth hundreds of millions of won but was let off by the owner has gone viral online. [Karrot cafe 'Auto Maniacs' screen capture]

A story about a truck driver in his 40s who lost one of his wrists and then rear-ended a Ferrari worth hundreds of millions of won — only to be met with unexpected kindness from the car's owner — has gone viral online.

According to a post on the Karrot cafe "Auto Maniacs" on Saturday, a man who identified himself as a 41-year-old truck driver, referred to only as A, shared an account of a recent accident under the title "I hit a Ferrari."

"I work as a truck driver and I have a disability — I lost my left wrist," A wrote. "Not long ago I got into a really serious accident while driving, and of all the cars I could have hit, it turned out to be a Ferrari."

The vehicle in photos A shared appeared to be a Ferrari Portofino, a luxury sports car with a domestic price tag in the 300 million won ($221,000) range.

"The owner is a chairman that everyone would know," A wrote. "I was so flustered at the moment of the accident that I just held my head in my hands and couldn't say a word."

Before A could even process the shock, however, the Ferrari's owner said something unexpected.

"The chairman looked at my left hand and said, 'It's OK,'" A recounted. "I just kept repeating how sorry I was. Then he said, 'I'll take care of this,' and patted me on the shoulder."

A said the owner's kindness stayed with him long after the incident.

"I've felt grateful ever since that day, and I've been wondering whether I should send a small gift for chuseok," A wrote, asking fellow users for advice. "But I also worry it might come across as a burden or too much — would it be all right to send a gift in a situation like this?"

Readers who came across the story responded warmly, with comments such as "He shines brighter than the Ferrari," "This is exactly what noblesse oblige means," "Reveal the company so we can spread the word and help it thrive," and "Good stories are meant to be shared." Some, however, said that given the apparent scale of the damage, full accountability for the accident should still be taken.


betterj@heraldcorp.com