There Couldn’t Be a Worse Time for This
UPDATE III:
The US government must be really concerned about the possible anti-US backlash here because now even President Bush has expressed his condolences to President Roh about the accident.
I first want to express my country’s deepest condolences for the accident that took place where a U.S. military vehicle killed a Korean woman, and we send our deepest sympathies to the woman’s families,” Bush told reporters after a meeting with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun.
“And Mr. President, I just want you to know our hearts are sad as a result of this incident,” he said, looking at Roh sitting next to him at the briefing with the press.
Bush’s swift response to the road accident apparently reflected concerns that a fresh wave of anti-American sentiment may flare up in South Korea over the tragedy as it did over a similar accident three years ago.
Once again good move. A lot has been learned from 2002.
UPDATE II:
Here is what the Joongang is reporting. The only new news they provided was that the accident involved an MP LMTV. They also reported General Campbell’s apology and condolences to the family for the accident. Good move by the General, so far the army has been handling this difficult situation pretty well.
UPDATE I:
The Korea Times is reporting that 8th US Army commander General Charles Campbell is apologizing for the tragic accident:
“Gen. Campbell sincerely apologizes and expresses his deep personal condolences to the family and friends for the tragic death,?? the U.S. Army said in a news release.
(…)
The general?s apology came just hours after the tragedy took place given that two South Korean schoolgirls killed by a U.S. armored vehicle had sparked massive anti-American protests in the country in June 2002.
The article provides some more details about the case:
The woman, a 51-year-old yogurt delivery worker with the surname Kim, was hit by a 2.5-ton military truck driven by an Army private in Saengyon-dong, Tongduchon, around 2 p.m.
It was not immediately confirmed whether the U.S. private was off duty at the time of the accident. He is under the custody of Korean police in Tongduchon for questioning.
The soldiers in truck were obviously on duty since they were driving a military vehicle. Since the soldiers were on duty they will fall under the SOFA agreement that means that the case will be handled by the US military law system.
I can already see the unfair SOFA protestors now.
It has already hit the news wires, but this is what I have been dealing with all afternoon. I’ll let the Army Public Affairs Office explain in detail what happened before I comment on it but it doesn’t look good initially but let’s reserve judgement and let the investigation play out.
This is sure give the Hanchongnyun types protesting this weekend plenty to protest and cause trouble about unfortunately. Especially with the anniversary of the 2002 accident coming up on Monday. There couldn’t be a worse time for this. My condolences to the family for this tragedy.
Games already beginning.
ROK Police had invited the press to be present for the interviews with the soldiers. Luckily PMO convinced the police to dis-invite them.
They (ROK police) also wanted to go back to the accident site for "measurements"-please US, bring the LMTV truck there so we can do this…sure enough…host of cameras on hand when 2ID shows up. Surprise surprise! Again, PMO made the right call and decided not to "reinact" the accident for the press.
Tragic loss for the family and feel badly for them. That understood, the grandstanding games for the media and the protesters by the local police cannot endear them to USFK.
Sad.
Focus should be on the tragic loss of life. Instead the local police are forcing the PMO to react to safeguard the soldiers in question right of innocent until proven guilty. Which of course will make it look like 2ID is not cooperating. Fun is sure to follow.
I hope this doesn't become ugly like back in 2002. It has split Korea and KA community here in US. I feel sorry for the Private already. He must just came out of AIT and first duty station in Korea.
If anyone knows the statistic on ROK soldiers getting into accident in their military vehicles and end up killing ROK civilians.
I bet the accident scene does not have Side walk for Pedestrian just like any other Korean Country roads. And this Yakult Sales Lady was pushing her Yakult cart on the road which was shared by vehicles. Then here comes the US Private freshed out of AIT and new to the theatre. He was not used to having to share the road with a lady pushing carts.
Anyway, I hope that ROK side does not make this into Anti-US Media Witch hunt.
Excuse my ignorance, but I'm just curious. In regards to these tragic accidents, I was wondering just how quiet/loud these tanks and military vehicles are. For some reason, I imagine these things to be pretty big, and therefore very noisy, which would at least alert any nearby pedestrian that a huge vehicle is in the vicinity and to be on guard.
(And yes, I agree that the lack of pedestrian sidewalks in rural parts of Korea is a huge problem as well.)
Can anyone clarify this for me?
Thanks!
Jodie,
I think Truck that Private was driving was LMTV which is the current US Army 2 1/2 Ton truck model. This truck does make some noise but most of latest models has very good noise suppressant compared older models.
You are right about the noise on the Engineer Bridge Laying track vehicle that killed those two girls back in 2002. This track vehicle is on the same track chassis with M1 tanks. Therefore, driving noise is loud as M1 tanks. There were rumors and eye witness accounts that prior to these two girls got killed, these girls were on the right side of road and on the road (no side walk in rural streets in Paju). They both saw whole convoy of military vehicles went through, and they both blocked their ears their both hands due to loud vehicle noise.
Jodi,
The LMTV truck involved in the accident I would say is as loud as any other truck weighing 2.5 tons. So it is by no means quiet. The AVLB tracked vehicle involved in the 2002 incident is extremely loud. If you don't wear your CVC helmet while in the vehicle you will get hearing damage if you exposed to the noise for a prolonged period of time. I have read reports related to the 2002 accident that the girls never saw the vehicles coming. That is ridiculous, how do you not here and entire convoy of these things coming?
I used to be in a Bradley unit my last tour in Korea. A Bradley is a tracked infantry fighting vehicle. I have been on many convoys up here and the people are so used to military vehicles they are not intimidated by them. Pedestrians will not move, they will keep walking with their hands over their ears, talking on their cellphones, etc. With the lack of side walks up here pedestrians expect you to go around them when they are walking on the side of the roads. I can personally remember plenty of close calls I have had with pedestrians up here.
A sidewalk would of prevented the 2002 accident. Especially since tracked vehicles are common on the road and a major training area is near the accident site. Now the government has put in a sidewalk. Little to late.
With Friday's accident you got a woman pulling a cart in the right hand lane on the major highway in the area, Highway 3. This is not uncommon this is another one of the dangers on the highways up here is people pulling carts in the road. Another hazard is people on bicycles. Even when there is a sidewalk available they will ride their bicycles in the middle of the highway anyway.
I can't speak for the experience of the Private driving the LMTV and maybe he was negligent in his driving, I don't know, the investigation will figure that out, but he was driving down the road and there is a woman with a cart in the highway and an LMTV being the size that it is, is not as manueverable and able to stop on dime as a car; that I do know from experience.
I don't know for sure what happened, but what I do know is that if there were sidewalks on the roads where all the military traffic is on and the pedestrians stayed on the sidewalks these two accidents would have been prevented. Maybe USFK just needs to spend the money to sidewalk all these roads since the government won't do it.
I've driven through the exact site of the accident's location several times after it occurred and was only minutes behind. I was driving back from Seoul to Camp Casey. The traffic was being detoured around the accident where the KNP marked and investigated the site. The paint is still on the road and several Korean men are conducting a vigil for the woman along the side of the street where the accident occurred.
The woman (may her soul rest in peace)was crossing the street NOT in a marked crosswalk and the LMTV was apparently unable to break in time before striking her. This intersection is always congested with traffic turning left and the notorious Taxi driver style of right lane passing occuring to beat the light. The KNP markings for the LMTV are in the left turn lane and the body markings are just in front near the double yellow lines. With the rain that drenched the area the day of the accident and the roads being wet and the limited visibility, along with the ROK Army conducting a rolling thunder down the same section of road at the very same time of the accident, could have only multiplied the risk of this happening as it happened.
June apparently is not a good month for the American forces in Korea. Let us not forget the readiness of our combined forces the morning of 25 June 1950. If we allow accidents to stop us from doing our jobs in protecting the democracy of this country and its' people, so that the protester's have the freedom to protest, then we have failed our mission here. I agree that we must take appropriate actions in mitigating accidents by training our forces with proper defensive driving techniques in Korea. Together we must do a better job in training our forces. Together we must accept the risk associated with deterring aggression. Together we must learn from this and try to prevent it from occurring again, so that no life is taken unnecessarily
From everything I saw from the scene, the driver of the LMTV is not at fault for the death of this woman's life.
CPT KIM,
The AVLB is on an M-60 chassis not an M1 chassis as far as noise goes the M1 is alot quieter than the AVLB. You will smell an M1 before you hear it.
Thanks. My misake.