EDR Functioned Normally at the Time of the Accident
Flashing Light Also Not Detected
The police have concluded that the cause of the 'Sicheong Station wrong-way driving accident,' which resulted in 9 deaths, was the driver's, Mr. Cha (68), 'inexperienced driving operation.'
On the 1st, the Seoul Namdaemun Police Station stated at the final investigation briefing of the Sicheong Station accident, "According to the National Forensic Service (NFS) analysis, after comprehensively reviewing footage from 12 surrounding CCTVs and 4 black boxes, as well as witness statements, contrary to the suspect's claims, the cause of the accident has been confirmed as inexperienced driving operation."
The police had met with Mr. Cha three times to investigate the cause of the Sicheong Station accident, but he consistently claimed "sudden unintended acceleration due to vehicle defects." Mr. Cha reportedly testified, "About 7 to 8 meters before the parking lot exit, I heard a 'ududu' sound, and the brake became stiff and could not be pressed."
In response, the police immediately formed a dedicated task force (TF) for the Sicheong Station accident and collaborated with professional forensic institutions such as the NFS and the Korea Road Traffic Authority to verify vehicle defects and reproduce the accident. Based on the investigation, the police applied for an arrest warrant for Mr. Cha on the 24th, and on the 30th, the court issued the warrant.
According to the police's final investigation results, no mechanical defects were found in the accelerator or braking systems of the G80 vehicle driven by Mr. Cha. Notably, the event data recorder (EDR), considered a crucial piece of evidence, was also confirmed to have recorded normally.
Analysis of the EDR records showed that the brakes were not engaged from 5 seconds before the accident until the moment it occurred. Additionally, both CCTV footage and witness vehicle black box videos showed that, except for the auxiliary brake lights flashing briefly immediately after the collision, the brake lights were not illuminated during driving. Furthermore, it was confirmed that Mr. Cha repeatedly pressed and released the accelerator pedal up to 99% during the accident. The accelerator pedal's tread pattern was also imprinted on the sole of the shoes Mr. Cha was wearing at the time, serving as decisive evidence.
The police stated, "We have concluded that the cause of the accident was the driver's inexperienced operation," and explained, "On the 1st, Mr. Cha was sent to the prosecution under custody on charges of violating the Special Act on Traffic Accident Handling (negligent homicide and injury in the course of duty)."
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