Charged with Violating the Special Act on Traffic Accident Handling
Investigated Without Detention After Entering a Care Facility
A man in his 70s who drove his car into a traditional market in Seoul at the end of last year, causing 12 casualties, has been brought to trial.
According to the legal community on December 16, the Criminal Division 2 of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office indicted Mr. A (75) without detention on charges of violating the Special Act on Traffic Accident Handling (resulting in death and injury).
Mr. A is accused of causing the death of one person and injuring 11 others when he drove his car into Gaebi Market in Mok-dong, Yangcheon District, Seoul, on December 31, 2024. At the time of the accident, Mr. A accelerated to overtake a bus in front of him and was driving at 76.5 kilometers per hour. Although he stepped on the brakes just before crashing into a fruit store in the market, investigations found that he failed to reduce his speed.
In January 2025, Mr. A underwent a thorough medical examination at a hospital in Seoul and was diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's disease. He has since entered a care facility and has been investigated without being detained.
Previously, in November 2023, Mr. A was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to Alzheimer's disease, at the same hospital and received medication for about three months. However, it was confirmed that he stopped treatment on his own after finishing the prescribed medication.
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