The Korea Herald

피터빈트

Passersby flip car on its side to rescue driver

By Lim Jae-seong

Published : March 23, 2023 - 17:19

    • Link copied

Pedestrians flip a car on its side on Tuesday in eastern Ulsan. (Ulsan Metropolitan Police) Pedestrians flip a car on its side on Tuesday in eastern Ulsan. (Ulsan Metropolitan Police)

Footage of pedestrians who came together in the spur of the moment to rescue a driver from a flipped car earned praise online Thursday.

Ulsan Metropolitan Police on Thursday shared a video of an accident on its YouTube channel, showing some ten passersby gathering around a sport utility vehicle that tipped onto its side at a junction in Ulsan on Tuesday morning.

As some people begin to push the vehicle back up, other passersby and drivers dashed to pitch in.

Only around 80 seconds after the car was overthrown, they succeeded in forcing the car back on its wheels, even as police were receiving reports of the accident.

The incident occurred after the car hit another vehicle while turning at the junction. The driver in his 40s was left unable to escape as the driver’s side was against the road, putting him at further risk of additional accidents.

The driver rescued by passersby suffered only minor injuries, but was carried to the hospital by ambulance for a checkup, according to police.

As the video has spread online, comments praising the rescuers for their cooperation have flooded social media.

Ulsan police expressed thanks to the people who acted on their conscience in comments in the video.

Passersby gather around a car that fell on its side at a junction in eastern Ulsan at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday. (Ulsan Metropolitan Police) Passersby gather around a car that fell on its side at a junction in eastern Ulsan at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday. (Ulsan Metropolitan Police)