'70s Driver Who Rushed into Kkaebi Market Diagnosed with Dementia, Hasn't Taken Medication for Nearly a Year'

Police Proceed with License Cancellation After Vehicle Seizure

A driver in his 70s who caused a car crash in a traditional market in Seoul was diagnosed with dementia in 2023 but was confirmed to have stopped taking medication since early last year.

On the 2nd, Yonhap News reported, "The driver in his 70s, Mr. A, who caused the traffic accident at Kkaebi Market in Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu on the 31st of last month, was diagnosed with dementia at a hospital in Seoul in November 2023 and took medication for three months," according to an investigation. According to this, Mr. A did not receive any further dementia-related treatment or prescriptions after finishing the prescribed medication. It is said that he stopped taking the medication around February of last year. In a police investigation immediately after the accident, Mr. A stated that he had been diagnosed with dementia about two years ago and had taken medication.

At around 4:18 PM on the 31st of last month, a sedan driven by a man in his 70s crashed into a crowd at Kkaebi Market in Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, resulting in multiple injuries. Yonhap News

It was also found that Mr. A had been advised to undergo dementia treatment at a public health center in Yangcheon-gu in February 2022, before his dementia diagnosis. Under the Road Traffic Act, dementia is a disqualification for a driver's license.

However, current regulations recognize that not all dementia patients have cognitive abilities low enough to prohibit driving, so only those who have been hospitalized for more than six months must undergo a special aptitude test for their driver's license, and their license can be revoked based on the results. Mr. A is not subject to this special aptitude test. He has no history of traffic accidents and renewed his Class 1 regular driver's license after passing the aptitude test in September 2022.

A police official said, "The driver's dementia symptoms are a medical matter, so it is difficult to comment on the severity," and added, "There are currently no plans to request a psychiatric evaluation of the driver." The police have seized Mr. A's vehicle and are proceeding with the process to revoke his license.

On the 31st of last month, Mr. A was driving a passenger car straight from Yangdong Middle School in Yangcheon-gu toward Kkaebi Market in Mok-dong. He overtook a bus, accelerated, and then crashed directly into the market. Mr. A's car stopped after colliding with pedestrians and store signs with its front bumper. As a result of this 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 pressed the brake in front of the market stalls, but I don't remember well after that." It was reported that he did not claim sudden unintended acceleration.