Fell Asleep in Back Seat and Died After Parking Tower Entry... Security Guard and Others Receive Suspended Sentences

Car Owner Falls to Death from 15th Floor After Waking Up in Parked Vehicle

A security guard and a building manager who were put on trial for causing a fatal accident by parking a vehicle with a person lying in the back seat inside a parking tower have been sentenced to suspended prison terms.

According to Yonhap News on the 21st, the Busan District Court’s Criminal Division 5 Single Judge (Presiding Judge Kim Hyunseok) sentenced a security guard in his 70s, identified as A, and a building manager in his 50s, identified as B, to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, on charges of occupational negligence resulting in death. A resident in his 40s, identified as C, was fined 10 million won.

According to the court ruling, the incident occurred on January 16, 2023, at a mechanical parking tower in an officetel located in Busanjin-gu, Busan. D, the victim and a resident of the officetel, had finished drinking with an acquaintance and called a designated driver to move his Grandeur vehicle to the officetel’s parking tower. The designated driver parked the car on the elevator platform of the parking tower, received his fee, and, at D’s request, left D inside before leaving. D then fell asleep in the back seat of the vehicle.

Five minutes later, another resident, C, arrived at the parking tower and discovered D’s vehicle on the elevator platform. He looked inside through the window but did not see anyone. He then informed the security office, saying, “There is only the car and no person, so I will park it,” and pressed the entry button. Security guard A, who was in charge of the parking tower, allowed C to park the vehicle without checking the scene. The vehicle was then parked on the 15th floor, and one hour later, D woke up, opened the door to get out, and fell to his death.

Judge Kim held the security guard and building manager, who were responsible for managing the parking tower, largely accountable. Judge Kim stated, “Security guard A, as the person in charge of managing the mechanical parking facility, performed management duties without having completed the training provided by the Korea Transportation Safety Authority,” and pointed out, “He failed to ensure the safe operation of the mechanical parking facility and did not check whether there was a person inside the vehicle.”

Regarding building manager B, Judge Kim said, “He is the person responsible for overseeing the overall work of the officetel,” and added, “He has a duty to educate the security guards on their work, manage their work patterns and situations, and instruct and guide residents on safe usage methods.” As for resident C, the judge stated, “Even if the vehicle’s windows were heavily tinted and the back seat could not be checked visually, he could have opened the door to check, knocked on the door, or contacted the owner by phone to confirm the situation.”