HiteJinro Icheon Plant Nearby Shoulder Parking
General Citizen Driver Unaware, Rear-End Collision Fatality
Police Investigate on Charges of Violating Road Traffic Act
[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Jo] It has been confirmed belatedly that a union member who participated in the transportation blockade protest by the Cargo Solidarity of the Public Transport Union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) at the Hite Jinro Icheon plant is now facing prosecution for causing a fatal traffic accident.
The Icheon Police Station in Gyeonggi Province announced on the 20th that they have booked and investigated Mr. A, a union member in his 60s belonging to the KCTU Cargo Solidarity, on charges of violating the Special Act on the Treatment of Traffic Accidents (causing death). Mr. A is accused of illegally parking a 14-ton truck on National Road No. 42 heading toward Incheon near the plant at around 3:30 a.m. on the 9th of last month, during the transportation blockade protest at the Icheon plant by the KCTU Cargo Solidarity, which led to a fatal traffic accident. At the time, the victim driver failed to notice Mr. A’s truck parked on the shoulder and collided with the underside of the vehicle, dying on the spot. It was confirmed that Mr. A was not present at the scene during the accident and did not take any safety measures such as installing safety signs or tail lights at the rear of the vehicle.
The police began reviewing whether to impose criminal charges on the truck owner but reportedly faced difficulties in applying charges in the early stages of the case. Until now, fatal accidents caused by illegal parking have only resulted in fines, with no criminal prosecutions. It has been common for the victim’s side to file lawsuits and have the truck owner’s negligence recognized in civil court trials.
The police consulted with other investigative agencies and reviewed applicable laws, ultimately finding precedents in court rulings on similar cases, which led to the sudden booking of Mr. A. The precedent involved a truck owner who was sentenced to imprisonment for parking a truck in a no-parking zone without taking safety measures, causing a fatal accident. A police official explained, "We judged the case to be serious and continued legal review, leading to the booking based on the relevant precedent." The police have completed their investigation of Mr. A and plan to transfer the case to the prosecution soon.
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