Intersection Accident During Heavy Snow: Victim Mistaken as At-Fault Party?

Police Judge Fault Based Only on "Failure to Stop"
"Centerline Crossing and Speeding" Excluded from Investigation
Party Involved Raises Doubts Over Black Box Evidence
Police Say "Difficult to Disclose Details of Investigation"

Earlier this year, a traffic accident occurred at an intersection in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province during a heavy snowstorm. Although the police quickly identified the at-fault party, several circumstances surrounding the case have raised questions.

Mr. A, one of the parties involved in the accident, claims that the other vehicle was speeding despite the snowy conditions and crossed the centerline before colliding, but that the police excluded these factors from their investigation. He argues that the roles of at-fault and victim have been reversed, and questions the police's investigative process, stating that he has been wrongfully identified as the at-fault party despite being the victim.

The accident occurred at around 10:40 a.m. on January 9 near the Sinhung intersection on Local Road 801 in Sijong-myeon, Yeongam-gun, South Jeolla Province. As Mr. A's vehicle was making a right turn into the snow-covered intersection, a vehicle coming from the opposite direction crossed the bridge and collided with Mr. A's car without reducing speed.

At the time, the road was covered in heavy snow and ice, making it difficult to brake. Traffic markings such as the centerline and stop lines were also hard to distinguish due to the snow.

In the black box footage from Mr. A's vehicle, a right-turning car is seen cautiously entering a snow-covered intersection when it collides with a straight-moving vehicle that has crossed the bridge. Mr. A's side claims that the straight-moving vehicle charged forward without reducing speed.

Two to three weeks after the accident, the Yeongam Police Station, which took charge of the case, imposed a 40,000 won fine on Mr. A for "failure to drive safely." The police determined that Mr. A was at fault because his vehicle "did not come to a complete stop before making a right turn."

In a phone interview with our outlet, Mr. A said, "The other vehicle crossed the centerline and entered the intersection, while we had stopped. It is hard to accept the police's judgment, which did not take the road conditions into account."

During the initial investigation, Mr. A's side requested that the police examine whether the other vehicle had crossed the centerline or was speeding. However, the police based their decision solely on the failure to stop. No analysis was conducted regarding the speed or entry path of the other vehicle.

After raising objections, a joint on-site investigation was conducted in the middle of last month with the participation of the South Jeolla Provincial Police Agency, the Korea Road Traffic Authority, and Yeongam Police Station.

There were also inconsistencies in the police's explanations regarding the process of securing black box footage. When Mr. A's side asked whether the black box from the other vehicle had been obtained, the police initially said it had, but later reversed their statement during the reinvestigation, saying it had not been secured. After Mr. A's side mentioned a related audio recording, the police explained that "the device was obtained, but there was no footage."

Mr. A's side expressed distrust in the overall investigative process. In particular, when the timing and procedure for requesting analysis from the Korea Road Traffic Authority were not clearly explained, they filed a request for information disclosure to verify the relevant materials.

An official from the Authority said, "We participated in the reinvestigation and delivered our analysis results to the police," but added, "As the case is still under investigation, we cannot disclose the details." Regarding the disclosure request, the official said, "It is under discussion."

The police also stated, "It is difficult to disclose specific details due to procedural reasons," regarding the progress of the investigation and the use of the analysis results.

Mr. A's side said, "Rather than focusing on who is at fault, we want an explanation of the procedures," and added, "We are waiting for a transparent investigation result."