Kwon Ri-sea, also known as Rise, is the second member to pass away in the tragic Ladies' Code crash that happened on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old singer member of the all-girl South Korean group died Sunday morning at a Suwon hospital just south of Seoul. She had sustained serious injuries from the Ladies' Code crash and had been unconscious following hours of emergency brain surgery after the accident, Polaris Entertainment agency spokeswoman Kim Eun-kyung said.
Rise's death follows the passing of 22-year-old bandmate Go Eun-bi, also known as just EunB, who died shortly after the Ladies' Code crash, The Sunday Morning Herald reported. Her funeral was held in Seoul on Friday.
According to previous Ladies' Code crash reports, the van transporting the band members and their entourage was on its way to Seoul in the morning of Sept. 3 (local time), when the back wheel of the car fell off.
The vehicle reportedly slipped down the rainy road and ultimately slammed into a protective wall in the area of the Singal Intersection on the Yeongdong Expressway en route to Incheon.
The Ladies's Code crash happened while the group was returning to the South Korean capital after shooting a TV appearance in the south-eastern city of Daegu, Police inspector Lee Ho-dong reportedly told the Associated Press.
Another member, SoJung, was also reportedly injured and hospitalized. Ashly, Zuny, the band's managers and stylists did not suffer serious injuries.
The van driver, who was believed by cops to be speeding on the wet road to meet a cramped schedule, was treated for minor injury and was later questioned about the Ladies' Code crash, BBC has learned.
"We are investigating the exact cause of the accident," Lee said. "But it's difficult because the highway section where the crash occurred did not have a closed-circuit television camera."
Meanwhile, a camera from inside the van, which could help in the Ladies' Code crash investigation, had already been sent to the National Forensic Service.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
