Two taxi passengers Thursday abandoned their driver, who had suffered cardiac arrest while driving, flaring up a nationwide morality discussion.

Daejeon Dunsan Police on Thursday said the driver, 63, passed away after sudden heart failure while driving at around 8:40 a.m. on Thursday in Seo-gu, Daejeon.

Whether he passed away while still behind the steering wheel or after, due to lack of prompt emergency measures, has yet to be discerned. 

The late man, unconscious after the incident, reportedly lost control of the taxi with his foot pressed down on the accelerator. The car only came to a halt after ramming into another vehicle.

According to witnesses who called for emergency service for the taxi driver, the passengers who had been present at the moment of the accident gathered their luggage and simply changed taxis without offering any help to the unconscious man.

The police presume they left thinking others would report the accident for them, with the morning traffic fairly dense with commuters. 

The passengers only called to report the accident to police two hours after the incident, explaining they had to leave the scene in a hurry to catch an airport bus that was due to depart in 10 minutes.

They told police they would cooperate with the investigation when they return from overseas.

An autopsy has been requested by the National Forensic Service to determine the exact cause of the driver’s death.

By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)