Driver in Mokdong Kkaebi Market Crash Incident Confirms "Dementia Diagnosis"

"Investigating Whether Preexisting Condition Affected the Accident"

An accident occurred where a passenger car crashed into Kkaebi Market in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, and the police reportedly secured a statement indicating that the driver had been diagnosed with dementia.

The scene of a vehicle ramming accident that occurred on the 31st at Kkaebi Market in Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

According to the police on the 1st, the Yangcheon Police Station in Seoul confirmed the dementia diagnosis history of the driver in his 70s involved in the passenger car crash that occurred the previous day. After investigating the driver, Mr. A, in his 70s, the Yangcheon Police Station obtained a statement indicating that he was diagnosed with dementia about two years ago and had taken medication.

A police official stated, "It needs further investigation to determine whether dementia influenced this accident," adding, "We are additionally verifying whether Mr. A currently shows dementia symptoms and whether he is still taking medication." However, it was found that Mr. A had a history of driving even after being diagnosed with dementia.

On the previous day, Mr. A was driving a black Equus, heading straight from Yangdong Middle School in Yangcheon-gu toward Mokdong Kkaebi Market. He accelerated to overtake a bus and then crashed directly into the market. Mr. A’s car stopped after the front bumper collided with pedestrians and store signs. It was confirmed that there were no passengers in the car. As a result of the accident, one man in his 40s died and 12 people were injured. The police booked Mr. A on the same day on charges of violating the Special Act on Traffic Accident Handling (causing death).

During the police investigation, Mr. A stated, "I had parked the car in the parking lot for a long time and was worried about the battery running out, so I drove it out after a long time," and "I accelerated to avoid the bus ahead and tried to brake in front of the market stalls, but I don’t remember well what happened afterward." It was reported that Mr. A did not claim sudden unintended acceleration. The police analyzed nearby closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage and confirmed that the rear brakes of the vehicle were functioning normally. Considering the driver’s statement as well, it is known that the police are placing more weight on driver error rather than vehicle defects as the cause of the accident.