Gwangju Traffic Accident Suspected of 'Driver Switch' Faces Risk of Becoming an Unsolved Case

Car Accident Involving Five Teenagers in Gwangju on June 20 Last Year

Only Unconscious A-gun Identified as Driver... Parents Raise Objections About Car Condition

After 1 Year and 7 Months, Prosecutors Suspend Prosecution Until Suspect Recove

The scene of a traffic accident involving teenage drivers on June 20, 2020. The passenger side of the vehicle is severely damaged, while the driver's side remains relatively intact. Photo by Reader Submission

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] The traffic accident that occurred in Gwangju, suspected of a ‘driver swap,’ is at risk of becoming a cold case, as it has been stuck in a stalemate for 1 year and 7 months.

This is because the prosecution, which took over the investigation from the police, has suspended the investigation.

According to the prosecution and the suspect’s side on the 13th, the prosecution recently halted the investigation into the traffic accident that occurred last year in Pungam-dong.

The accident happened at around 4:25 a.m. on June 20, 2020, in Pungam-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, when a vehicle carrying five teenagers crossed the center line and collided with an oncoming vehicle.

As a result of the accident, Mr. A suffered a severe head injury and underwent emergency surgery but remains unconscious to this day. The police identified Mr. A as the driver based on the testimonies of the four passengers.

However, Mr. A’s parents raised objections after seeing the accident vehicle, sparking controversy over a ‘driver swap.’

The right side of the vehicle, on the passenger seat side, was heavily damaged, while the driver’s side was almost undamaged, which was the reason for the objection.

Also, there were marks on Mr. A’s right shoulder similar to injuries that could be caused by wearing a seatbelt.

They requested a reinvestigation citing several other suspicions. The police replaced the investigator and continued the investigation, requesting an expert opinion from the National Forensic Service, which concluded that the ‘driver could not be identified.’

Mr. A’s parents commissioned a private organization, the Traffic Accident Engineering Research Institute, which found a very high possibility that Mr. A was not the driver, raising hopes for progress in the investigation. However, the police eventually identified Mr. A as the suspect about a year after the accident, citing lack of other evidence, and sent the case to the prosecution.

After the prosecution took over the case, the conclusion reached after about seven months was ‘suspension of prosecution due to time limitation.’ The vehicle inspection conducted by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office also gave an opinion similar to the National Forensic Service’s that ‘identifying the driver is difficult,’ and forensic experts’ opinions were divided, making it impossible to identify the driver.

The prosecution ultimately decided to suspend the investigation until the current suspect, Mr. A, wakes up and can be questioned.

With no clear conclusion from both the police and the prosecution, Mr. A’s parents are expressing their frustration.

Mr. B, Mr. A’s father, said, “I am not insisting that my son was definitely not the driver,” adding, “I am willing to accept it if they explain the suspicions that suggest he might not have been the driver.”

He continued, “There is testimony that high-definition CCTV footage was seen early in the case, but they say the footage does not exist. My son suffered a severe injury on the right side of his head, but they only say it could have happened by bouncing to the right even while wearing the driver’s seatbelt,” and lamented, “It seems like they are just telling us to accept the parts that are illogical by saying ‘that could be the case.’”

Mr. Kim Kyung-eun, the lawyer representing Mr. A, said, “It is frustrating that the prosecution decided to suspend the investigation with a suspension of prosecution while we are requesting additional evidence investigation,” adding, “We are looking for ways to proceed at this point.”