Police Concluded 'Simple Traffic Accident' 3 Years Ago
Bereaved Family Suspects Intentional Accident and Files Complaint
A husband who killed his wife, disguised the crime as a traffic accident, and collected a large insurance payout was arrested after three years.
On the 30th, the Criminal Division 1 of the Anyang Branch of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Choi Jae-jun) announced that A (55) was arrested and indicted on charges of murder, violation of the Special Act on the Prevention of Insurance Fraud, and violation of the Road Traffic Act (unlicensed driving).
A is accused of killing his wife B (then 51) by covering her nose and mouth with his hand while driving a passenger car on a mountain road in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi Province, in June 2020. He then deliberately caused a single-vehicle accident on a slope while carrying his wife, who was in a state of cardiac arrest. When the vehicle caught fire due to the impact, A pulled B out and escaped the vehicle together before calling 119.
During the police investigation, A falsely stated, "My wife was driving when suddenly an animal jumped out, causing the traffic accident." B, who was transported to the hospital in cardiac arrest, died 13 days after the accident due to hypoxic brain injury.
During the initial investigation, the police found no other criminal suspicions regarding the cause of the vehicle fire or B’s cause of death, and closed the case as a "simple traffic accident" in October of the same year. However, B’s family suspected foul play and filed a complaint in March 2021, stating that an intentional accident was suspected. The prosecution requested supplementary investigation from the police, who eventually revealed that A was the actual driver. In January last year, A was sent to prosecution without detention on charges of causing death by negligence under the Special Act on Traffic Accident Handling.
Subsequent prosecution investigations revealed that A had killed his wife and disguised it as a traffic accident. The prosecution found that A had surveyed the crime scene multiple times beforehand, which lacked closed-circuit television (CCTV), secretly purchased travel insurance for his wife, and extended the insurance period the day before the crime. Furthermore, after requesting detailed forensic examinations from several institutions regarding B’s cause of death, it was determined that the victim’s cause of death, "hypoxic brain injury," occurred before the traffic accident, and additional signs of resistance were found on the body. Based on these findings, it was concluded that A committed a premeditated crime, leading to his arrest.
It was understood that A planned the crime targeting his wife’s death insurance payout as he faced financial difficulties, including rolling over loans. The insurance money he received amounted to 523 million won.
A police official told Yonhap News, "At the time of the first case transfer, the National Forensic Service examined the vehicle and found no evidence of arson, and the autopsy concluded that the cause of cardiac arrest was unknown. Since this was before the adjustment of investigative authority, the case was transferred as a simple traffic accident under the prosecutor’s direction based on these investigation results." He added, "We conducted extensive supplementary investigations, but it is regrettable that we could not uncover the suspect’s murder charges." The prosecution stated, "We have guided the bereaved family on procedures for livelihood expenses, children’s tuition, and psychological treatment support," and added, "We will ensure that the defendant receives a strict sentence commensurate with the crime."
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