Three sanitation workers were killed before dawn on August 19 when the 6-ton garbage truck carrying them collided with a 25-ton dump truck at an intersection in Yeongcheon City, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. The crash occurred at about 4:03 a.m. at the Dodong Negeori intersection, which was operating under flashing traffic signals rather than normal red–yellow–green cycles. The dump truck’s driver, a man in his 70s, sustained severe injuries and is being treated at a hospital, authorities said.
Impact from the collision crushed the front of the sanitation truck and caused the dump truck to overturn on the roadway. The three workers aboard the garbage truck—two in their 60s and one in his 40s—were transported to a hospital but did not survive. Police and fire officials responded to the scene, cordoned off the intersection, and began gathering evidence shortly after the crash.
The victims were employed by a private contractor responsible for household waste collection under an agreement with the Yeongcheon municipal government. They were traveling to begin early-morning duties, a routine that places sanitation crews on the road during low-light hours when traffic is sparse but risks can be heightened.
Investigators noted that the intersection’s signals were in flashing mode, a setting commonly used during late-night and pre-dawn periods. In such conditions, drivers are expected to proceed with heightened caution and yield as appropriate because the usual timed sequence is inactive. Police said their inquiry centers on how each vehicle entered the junction and on compliance with the flashing signals.
To reconstruct events, authorities have secured closed-circuit television footage from nearby cameras and are reviewing in-vehicle black box recordings from both trucks. Their analysis will examine approach speeds, travel paths, the order of entry into the intersection, and whether the drivers were keeping proper lookout. No determination of fault has been made, and investigators are keeping multiple scenarios open, including the possibility that the drivers did not see each other in time.
The scale of damage underscores the hazards when heavy vehicles collide. With a 6-ton garbage truck and a 25-ton dump truck involved, the mass and momentum at impact likely amplified the consequences.
Officials said they will take a formal statement from the dump truck driver when his condition allows. Findings from video evidence and on-site forensics will be combined to establish a precise sequence and identify the factors that led to the fatal crash.
