Nighttime rear-end collision with Army howitzer leaves 1 dead, 1 injured

The South Korean Army expressed condolences after a civilian driver was killed and another injured when two cars crashed into an Army self-propelled howitzer in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, last week, saying it would fully cooperate with an ongoing investigation.

"We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved family and pray for the deceased," the Army said in a statement Wednesday.

"Police are currently investigating the exact circumstances and cause of the accident, and the military will fully cooperate with the investigation."

The accident occurred at around 7 p.m. on Nov. 5, when a Kia Sportage and a Porsche struck the K55A1 howitzer from behind one after the other on a national route near Cheongyang-ri in Cheorwon.

Dashcam footage of the accident, first shared on "Han Moon-chul TV," a YouTube channel hosted by veteran traffic lawyer Han Moon-chul, shows that the road was extremely dark, making the howitzer difficult to see. Its rear lights were also barely visible as a car approached from behind at high speed and crashed into it.

The first car to hit the howitzer was severely damaged, leaving it almost unrecognizable. Its driver was killed in the crash. The driver of the second vehicle was injured and taken to a nearby hospital.

Of the seven soldiers aboard the howitzer, which was returning to base after a training exercise, some reportedly sustained minor abrasions.