A bus crash that resulted in the deaths of nearly a dozen people on Thursday, July 2, 2015 in China has been declared as being caused by driving at unsafe speeds, according to officials investigating the crash. The bus was traveling over a bridge road in northeast China when it attempted to turn a corner and skidded off the roadway and fell into the waters of the river below. Footage recorded of the bus revealed that the driver was traveling at speeds more than twice the posted speed limit of 40 kilometers per hour when he lost control of the bus and crashed.
At the time of the accident, the bus was carrying visitors from South Korea on a tour of the region. The total number of people on board at the time of the crash was 28, 11 of whom lost their lives. Upon investigation, it was discovered that 10 of the fatalities were Korean nationals and the remaining fatality was the bus driver, a Chinese national serving as a tour guide. Toxicology reports showed that the driver was not under the influence of mind-altering substances at the time of the crash. The passengers were part of a group of South Korean government officials touring regions in China with historical significance for both nations.
An official sent out to investigate the bus crash and offer aid in its aftermath, Choo Doo-Yeong, has been reported as having fallen to his own death three days after the deadly bus crash, around 3 a.m. on Sunday morning. His body was found on the ground below the four-floor hotel where he had been staying in Ji’an city. The cause of the fall has had no official ruling made as of yet, but current reports state that the death is a possible suicide. Choo Doo-Yeong was said to have expressed feeling responsible for the lives lost in the bus crash. As the investigation into the bus crash continues, the investigation into Choo Doo-Yeong’s death begins.