Did Taeyeon receive special treatment after car crash?
Taeyeon’s grey Mercedes-Benz hit a silver K5 taxi from behind (as seen in the left and center photos) in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on Nov. 28. The impact caused the taxi to hit an Audi SUV.
By Ko Dong-hwan
Taeyeon at the "Girls' Generation TTS X Louis Quatorze" Media & VIP press conference at the Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, Apr. 23, 2015. / Korea Times file
A heated online debate has flared after K-pop singer Taeyeon crashed her Mercedes-Benz sedan into the rear of a taxi carrying two passengers about 7:40 p.m. Tuesday in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
The taxi, waiting for a traffic signal, was pushed into the back of an Audi SUV.
The star, 28, lead vocalist of girl band Girls’ Generation, and people from the other cars, were not seriously injured.
The accident wasn’t one of those headliners about celebrities driving under the influence of alcohol and ending up embarrassed. Instead, it inflamed a heated online debate on whether the star received controversial celebrity-first treatment from emergency crews over the other victims.
While the accident’s details remain unchecked, the debate has developed into an emotional skirmish between the star’s fans and others disturbed that emergency services gave the musician priority.
The debate started Tuesday night when one of the victims left a post on social media. The irate netizen claimed he saw how emergency crews ignored the others while taking a good care of Taeyeon.
“There was a taxi driver bleeding from his neck,” the netizen said. “But the crews tried to take the star to the hospital first and told the other victims to wait. Some of the victims wanted to sit inside the emergency vehicle but the crews rejected their requests, saying the singer has to ride in it. They passed off the driver’s neck bleeding as a minor scratch.”
The angry netizen took it personally that hospital emergency ward staff talked with each other about having met the star and regretted not taking her picture.
“We watched in front of us the crews responsible for saving people’s lives just so excited to see the star, grinning and laughing, and taking care of her first,” the netizen said. “I guess popularity and celebrity are good things.”
But a tow truck driver at the scene disagreed with the criticism. He said the star didn’t receive any special treatment.
“The star appeared to be dizzy and suffering from chest pain following the crash that blasted all the airbags at the driver’s seat of her car,” he said. “While the other victims were outside their cars waiting for an emergency vehicle, she was dealing with her car insurance company. Even when the emergency vehicle arrived at the scene and the crews checked the health status of the victims, she wasn’t even near the emergency vehicle.”
Taeyeon was shivering, worried about the victims, and went to a hospital in her manager’s car, according to the tow truck driver who claimed he talked to her at the scene.
While the two posts produced mixed opinions online, Taeyeon’s agency released an apology the next morning without any specific information that could clear the dispute.
SM Entertainment said the star was “on her way to a personal schedule” and the accident occurred “due to her indiscretion behind the wheel.”
“We feel sorry for riders and passengers in the cars she hit,” the agency told DongA Ilbo, adding she was unhurt. The outlet said the star was resting at home.
On Wednesday, Taeyeon responded on Instagram to a netizen demanding she make a public apology. “Child, this is not a matter of public apology but respecting those directly involved in the accident,” the star said, referring to the netizen with a nickname reflecting her tone.