"If You Accidentally Step on Excel, Strict Punishment Is Necessary"
Lawyer Han Moon-chul visited the site of the reverse driving traffic accident at Seoul City Hall Station, which resulted in 16 casualties. Lawyer Han conducted an in-depth investigation of the accident scene and analyzed the maximum sentence if the incident was due to driver negligence.
On the 30th episode of JTBC's 'Han Moon-chul's Black Box Review,' footage showed Lawyer Han visiting the accident site in person. Earlier, on the 1st at around 9:27 PM, driver Cha (68) was driving out of the underground parking lot of the Westin Chosun Hotel near City Hall Station when he accelerated and drove in reverse. The vehicle struck nearby roads, resulting in 9 deaths and a total of 7 people sustaining serious or minor injuries.
Lawyer Han said, "The accident site is in the Bukchang-dong alley. The guardrails are gone, and traces of memorials remain," adding, "This is the place where 9 lives were taken in an instant. There is no way to express this other than saying it is heartbreaking."
He continued, "There were people who had entered a convenience store, and if they had been a little later, they might have been affected too," expressing his sorrow. "Looking at footage from other angles, except for one person, everyone else disappeared. They either passed away or were seriously injured."
Following the path of the reverse-driving vehicle, he emphasized, "An accident could have occurred once before the vehicle struck the sidewalk after starting to drive in reverse," highlighting that pedestrians crossing the crosswalk at the time narrowly avoided the accident.
Lawyer Han stated, "There is no way to describe the shock the bereaved families must feel. Such an accident must never happen again," and updated on the current investigation, saying, "The driver claims sudden unintended acceleration, but the police concluded it was not sudden unintended acceleration."
He added, "The court will determine guilt or innocence, but if the driver mistakenly pressed the accelerator, they should be severely punished. Nine people died," reiterating the gravity of the case.
If this accident was caused by driver negligence, the maximum sentence is 5 years. Regarding this, Lawyer Han explained, "Even if there are multiple victims from a single act, the maximum sentence is 5 years," and noted, "There are opinions that the law should be revised."
He further added, "If there is insufficient evidence to prove driver error, a not guilty verdict may be given. It is not because of sudden unintended acceleration, but due to lack of evidence, a not guilty verdict is possible."
What about compensation for the victims? Lawyer Han said, "Civil compensation must be 100% covered by the at-fault vehicle's insurance company," and added, "Whether the insurance company will claim subrogation against the automobile manufacturer is a matter for later."
Meanwhile, Kim Seok-beom, the chief judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, held a pre-trial detention hearing for driver Cha on the same day and issued an arrest warrant, citing the risk of flight.
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