The victim entered an unlocked vehicle in Hadong Police Station’s parking lot through a back door on Aug 16. - Photo illustration: Screengrab from Google Maps
SEOUL: A woman reported missing by her family was found dead in the back of a police vehicle in Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province, on Saturday (Aug 17).
In an unexpected turn of events, local police revealed on Aug 18 that she appeared to have entered the empty, parked car for unknown reasons and was unable to get out for 36 hours amid blistering heat, leading to her death.
The back-seat doors of police vehicles cannot be opened from the inside, a feature designed to prevent suspects from escaping.
The front seats are also separated from the back by a partition, the Hadong Police Station said.
Surveillance footage shows the victim entering the unlocked vehicle in the police station’s parking lot through a back door at around 2am local time on Aug 16.
The car had remained unused until the time of her discovery, at around 2pm on Aug 17, by a police officer.
The victim’s family had reported her missing three hours before her discovery.
Given that there were no apparent signs of foul play, the authorities are considering that her death may be related to heat-related illness.
The region has been under a heat wave warning at the alert level since July 23, with daily temperatures reaching a high of 34 deg C on Aug 16 and 17.
Further investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of her death and why she had entered the car. - The Korea Herald/ ANN
