(코리아타운뉴스) Crash in Parking Lot Kills 2

An 85-year-old SUV driver
backed into a crowd inside of
a church parking lot in Chino

An 85-year-old SUV driver backed into a crowd, killing two and causing injury to four, inside of a church parking lot in Chino.

The accident occurred around 7:05 p.m. at the parking lot of the East Sarang Community Church in the 5500 Schaefer Avenue, according to the Chino Police Department. The driver, only identified by his last name Kwon, backed an Acura MDX into a crowd of churchgoers at a considerably high speed and killed two women.

The crash happened on the day of the East Sarang Community Church’s 10-year anniversary reception. The six victims of the accident were waiting in the parking lot to be transported back home after the event.

Kwon drove the SUV with his 76-year-old wife in the passenger’s seat. He tried backing out of his parking space to exit the lot, but accidently sped up and crashed into a group of six women 17 feet away from where the vehicle was initially parked. Kwon apparently continued backing out his vehicle in a circular shape even after the crash until he finally hit a tree 50 feet away. Kwon’s SUV bounced off the tree and finally hit a wall of a building across the street.

Immediately after the accident, Kwon and his wife were immediately hospitalized as well as the victims of the crash. Both Kwon and his wife were injured mildly. They returned home on April 10 to their son’s home.

The four injured women—Ae-hee Jeong (62), Hye-kyoung Park (52), In-sook Hwang (55) and Hyang-mi Yoo (65)—suffered various injuries, including fractured bones and bruises. The identities of the dead victims have not been revealed.

The accident had no link to terrorism, police said. The Chino Police Department is currently undergoing further investigations to identify the cause of the accident.

Kwon’s driver’s license was suspended. It is still possible that he could be arrested for an alleged manslaughter in the future. Local TV network KTLA reported that there is a possibility that Kwon may have stepped on the gas pedal instead of the break.

The East Sarang Community Church announced in a press conference on April 10 that it will do everything possible to look after those involved in the accident.

“Kwon and his wife are regular members of our church,” said pastor Sang-hwan Do. “The six victims were visitors. We’re still waiting for the result of the police investigation. We’re going to fully cooperate so that everything proceeds smoothly as well as looking after the funerals of the victims.”

The four injured victims have been released from the hospital on April 10.


By Hyoungjae Kim