Seoul Jonggak Taxi Crash: Elderly Driver Tests Positive for Morphine Amid Growing Safety Fears
A taxi driver in his late 70s was arrested after a fatal crash in Seoul, testing positive for morphine. The event sparks a debate on the safety of elderly drivers.
It wasn't alcohol, but the preliminary results were even more startling. A taxi driver in his late 70s is under arrest after a fatal crash in central Seoul that left one dead and 13 others injured.
Seoul Jonggak Taxi Crash Morphine Test Results Explained
Police arrested the driver on Saturday following the Friday evening incident near Jonggak Station. His electric taxi reportedly struck a vehicle, hit a traffic pole at a crosswalk, and then plowed into pedestrians. According to Yonhap, a 40-year-old woman was killed, while five pedestrians and eight others sustained injuries.
While no signs of drunk driving were found, the suspect tested positive for morphine in a preliminary drug test. Authorities have requested the National Forensic Service to conduct a detailed analysis, noting that certain cough medicines can trigger false positives for morphine.
The Rising Risk of an Aging Workforce
The incident has reignited a fierce debate over South Korea's aging taxi workforce. Concerns are mounting that slower reaction times and age-related declines in vision make elderly drivers more susceptible to high-stakes accidents.
- Data from the Korea Transportation Safety Authority shows that 53% of the 69,727 registered taxi drivers in Seoul are aged 65 or older.
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