Police are focusing their investigation on the possibility of accelerator pedal misoperation in connection with a series of recent vehicle ramming incidents in Seoul.
Park Hyunsoo, Acting Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, stated during a regular press briefing on July 14, "In the case of the accident at Banghak Intersection in Dobong-gu, according to passenger testimony, it appears that the taxi driver lost consciousness just before the crash." He added, "There is evidence that the vehicle's brake lights were not illuminated at the time of the accident, and we are currently analyzing the EDR (Event Data Recorder) installed in the vehicle to determine whether the brakes were actually engaged."
Regarding the recent vehicle ramming incident in Yeouido, he said, "The driver admitted to misoperating the controls, and it has also been confirmed that the brake lights were not activated during the accident." He added, "We are continuing our investigation into both incidents to determine the exact causes."
Previously, at around 4:20 p.m. on July 3, a taxi driven by a man in his 60s veered onto the sidewalk near Banghak Intersection in Dobong-gu, Seoul, resulting in the death of a male pedestrian in his 50s.
The following day, at 11:33 a.m. on July 4, a black SUV driven by a man in his 40s crashed into the FKI (Federation of Korean Industries) Tower in Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. No injuries were reported in this incident.
A police official stated, "We will work with local governments to improve traffic facilities in high-risk areas and expand the installation of devices that prevent accelerator pedal misoperation."
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