Vertical 'Accelerator Pedal' Mark on Shoe Sole... Decisive Evidence of Reverse Acceleration at Sicheong Station

Forensic analysis of driver's shoes by National Forensic Service
Clear traces on accelerator pedal... "Will serve as evidence of acceleration"
Strong impact during traffic accidents can also leave marks

The National Forensic Service found traces of the accelerator pedal being pressed on the shoes of Cha Mo (68), the driver of the vehicle involved in the wrong-way driving accident at Seoul City Hall Station that caused 16 casualties.

[Image source=Channel A broadcast screen]

On the 1st, at around 9:27 p.m., Cha was driving near City Hall Station in Jung-gu when he drove the wrong way and then crashed onto the sidewalk, resulting in 9 deaths and 7 people sustaining serious or minor injuries.

On the 27th, Channel A reported that the National Forensic Service confirmed clear accelerator pedal marks on the driver’s shoes from the wrong-way vehicle on the 1st. No brake pedal marks were found.

According to the analysis, under normal circumstances, even if the accelerator or brake pedals are pressed hard, marks do not easily remain on the shoe soles. However, during a traffic accident, when the accelerator is pressed hard and a strong impact occurs momentarily, friction can leave traces.

The scene of the reverse running accident at City Hall Station [Image source=Yonhap News]

Such traces can serve as evidence that the accelerator pedal was pressed just before the collision. Earlier, Jo Ji-ho, Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, stated, “Decisive evidence was found in an unexpected place.”

Additionally, the National Forensic Service confirmed that the vehicle’s speed exceeded 100 km/h at the time of the accident. Based on this information, the police are considering the cause of the accident to be driver negligence.

On the 25th, the Namdaemun Police Station in Seoul announced that they applied for an arrest warrant for Cha, the driver of the vehicle involved in the City Hall Station accident, on suspicion of violating the Special Act on Traffic Accident Processing (causing death) at around 5:30 p.m. the previous day. This was 23 days after the accident occurred.

A police official said, “We applied for the arrest warrant considering the seriousness of the crime and the investigation results so far.” It is also reported that the large scale of the damage, the lack of recovery for the victims, and Cha’s refusal to admit negligence were taken into account.

The police conducted three suspect interrogations from the 4th to the 19th, just three days after the accident, but Cha maintained his position that the accident was caused by a vehicle defect. Cha is currently hospitalized in a nursing hospital in the Seoul metropolitan area.

The Seoul Central District Court will hold a pretrial detention hearing (warrant review) for Cha on the 30th, presided over by Chief Judge Kim Seok-beom, who is in charge of warrants.