Arrest warrant sought for truck driver in crash killing 3 firefighters

Police sought an arrest warrant Saturday for the driver of a freight truck that slammed into a fire truck and killed three female firefighters a day earlier.

The rescue workers, two of them newly recruited trainees, had left their truck to capture a stray dog in the central city of Asan on Friday morning when the 25-ton cargo truck smashed into their fire engine. The impact caused the parked vehicle to run over and kill the three firefighters.

The 62-year-old truck driver was immediately taken into custody for questioning.

The driver, identified by his surname Huh, told police that he failed to look ahead at the time of the crash as he was adjusting radio controls, officials said.

Officials also said there were no skid marks at the scene, which means the truck driver didn't apply brakes.

The government posthumously promoted the fully commissioned firefighter by a rank and awarded a state medal to her. Officials said the government decided to award the same medal to the two trainees too even though they were not commissioned. (Yonhap)