Two Students Were Riding the Kickboard at the Time of the Accident
Controversy Arises Over Cause of Accident and Allegations of Excessive Police Enforcement
Controversy over excessive police enforcement has arisen after a teenager suffered a severe head injury and temporarily lost consciousness during a police crackdown. The cause of the accident is believed to be the police officer's direct action of grabbing the arm of the kickboard rider. The victim's family has announced plans to take legal action. On June 24, SBS reported that a teenage student riding an electric kickboard on a road in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, recently fell and sustained a head injury, losing consciousness during a police enforcement operation.
At the time of the accident, there were two male students riding the kickboard. Among them, student A, who was riding in the back, collapsed and exhibited severe convulsions. The police immediately attempted CPR, but student A did not regain consciousness. He was diagnosed with cerebral hemorrhage and a skull fracture and was transferred to the intensive care unit. Student A's father said, "I was shocked when I heard that the officer suddenly grabbed my child's arm," and added, "He was immediately admitted to the ICU, and I couldn't even visit him, which was heartbreaking." It was reported that student A's bleeding stopped two days after the accident, and he was discharged after ten days of hospitalization.
Both students riding the kickboard were 15 years old, did not have a license, and were not wearing helmets. The victim's side acknowledges these legal violations but argues that the police enforcement was excessive. Student A's father stated, "It appears the officer was hiding behind a container and suddenly jumped out to grab the boys' arms as they approached. While I admit there was wrongdoing, this method of enforcement was excessive." In response, the police denied hiding and explained that they had instructed the students to stop in advance, but the students ignored the order and continued driving, which led to intervention. The police also argued that the students were speeding on the sidewalk without a license and that the action was taken to protect pedestrian safety.
The National Police Agency commented, "Traffic enforcement must be judged based on the specific circumstances at the time, including the illegality and necessity of intervention, and it cannot be determined as excessive solely based on the outcome." Current traffic enforcement guidelines specify that enforcement should be carried out after inducing a stop in a safe location. Student A's family plans to file a criminal complaint against the officer for occupational negligence resulting in injury and also intends to pursue a state compensation lawsuit.
42.2% of PM Accident Drivers Are Under 20
Meanwhile, according to the Korea Road Traffic Authority, there were a total of 9,639 personal mobility (PM) traffic accidents?including electric kickboards?between 2020 and 2024. Personal mobility devices refer to single-person electric vehicles such as electric kickboards, electric two-wheeled self-balancing vehicles, and bicycles powered solely by electric motors. Drivers under the age of 20 accounted for 42.2% of all accidents. It was also found that 75% of patients who visited the emergency room due to PM accidents were not wearing helmets, and more than half were confirmed to have been driving without a license.
Meanwhile, it was found that 75% of patients who visited the emergency room due to personal mobility device accidents, such as electric kickboards, were not wearing helmets. Additionally, more than half were confirmed to have been driving without a license. Asia Economy
In addition, in April, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency analyzed the characteristics of personal mobility device injury patients based on the "2023 Emergency Room Injury Patient In-Depth Survey" and the "2023 Community-Based Severe Trauma Survey." According to their findings, the number of accidents involving "other land transport vehicles," which includes personal mobility devices, among all transport accident injury patients, increased from 388 cases (0.8%) in 2016 to 1,820 cases (6.8%) in 2023?a 4.7-fold increase.
According to the simplified results of the "Emergency Room Injury Patient In-Depth Survey," there were a total of 1,258 patients injured by personal mobility devices. Of these, 86.3% involved electric kickboards, and 10.2% involved electric bicycles. Notably, 75% of personal mobility device injury patients were not wearing helmets, which is 6.7 times higher than the proportion of those who were wearing helmets (11.2%). Furthermore, only 47% of patients held a driver's license.
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