Bus driver Yang Dong-hwan said that he didn’t even have the chance to step on the brakes, as he saw the animal at the last second. (image: Yang Dong-hwan)
SEOUL, May 14 (Korea Bizwire) — Bus driver Yang Dong-hwan, 59 years old, was driving at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour near the Hamyang Intersection on the Daejeon-Tongyong Highway at 5 a.m. on May 5 when he ran into a large, black wild animal.
Yang, in an interview, said that he didn’t even have the chance to step on the brakes, as he saw the animal at the last second.
“The impact was so strong it was as if I had hit a vehicle. I was only able to come to my senses after driving another 300 to 400 meters after the accident,” said Yang.
Yang reported the accident to the Korean National Park Service and said that animal was probably dead. Employees of the National Park Service rushed to the scene of the accident and analyzed the animal’s DNA from fur and droppings smeared on the bus.
Asiatic black bear. (image: Korea National Park Service)
The results showed that the DNA belonged to the Asiatic black bear KM-53 that was traveling away from Jirisan to a different part of the region.
Even more surprising is that not only did the bear survive, it left the accident relatively unscathed. KM-53 was known to have carried out its daily duties after it was hit by the bus.
To check the exact condition of the bear’s health, the National Park Service captured the bear on Jirisan on Friday to carry out various health checks.
Although the bear was treated for a broken front left leg, officials say that the bear looked fine on the exterior and was able to walk.
After hearing of the bear’s condition, Yang was in disbelief. Yang said, “If it were a human being, he or she would’ve died instantly. I just can’t believe it.”
Even officials at the Ministry of Environment were surprised by the bear’s survival, with some calling it a “miracle.”
Within the ministry, KM-53 is known as the “Columbus” bear, named after the 15th century Spanish explorer who set out to discover new worlds.
Like Columbus, KM-53 has tried to explore new territories on two separate occasions, departing from his current habitat.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
