멈추지 않은 1톤 트럭의 비극, ‘페달 오조작’이 남긴 뼈아픈 교훈 > K-wave Trends

The Incheon District Court, Bucheon Branch, sentenced the driver in his 60s, who was arrested and indicted on charges of causing death under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents, to two years and six months in prison (geumgo). While similar to a prison sentence (jingyeok) in that it restricts physical freedom within a correctional facility, a "geumgo" sentence does not include forced labor. The court clarified that the circumstances of the accident were by no means light and that the result, involving the loss of multiple precious lives, was extremely grave. While the court held the defendant strictly accountable for the severity of the offense, the sentence reflects the defendant's deep remorse and efforts to reach a settlement with the victims' bereaved families.

The incident began with a minor driving error. Investigations revealed that the defendant had exited the vehicle while the gear was still in reverse; when the vehicle began to move, he panicked and climbed back in. In that process, he stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake and mistakenly shifted the transmission into drive, triggering the tragedy. Footage from the vehicle's pedal dashcam clearly proved that the defendant was pressing the accelerator, not the brake, at the time of the accident. Ultimately, the 1-ton truck, having lost control, sped through the market alley for approximately 132 meters at speeds of 35–41 km/h, resulting in a horrific toll of 22 casualties.

As it became known that the defendant had been suffering from Moyamoya disease, a cerebrovascular condition, for five years, some raised questions about whether his health was the direct cause of the accident. However, professional medical evaluations concluded otherwise. The judgment found it difficult to attribute the crash directly to the disease, and the defendant himself denied any connection, stating that his condition did not hinder his driving. This suggests that the accident was not an unavoidable event caused by illness, but rather a man-made disaster resulting from the driver's momentary lapse in judgment and operational error.

A notable aspect of this trial is that despite there being 22 casualties, the charges regarding bodily injury were dropped without indictment. This is because the defendant had comprehensive automobile insurance, providing an institutional mechanism for victim compensation. Furthermore, the fact that the defendant reached amicable settlements with the bereaved families of three of the four deceased victims, who expressed that they did not wish for the defendant to be punished, had a decisive impact on the sentencing. This highlights the significant role that insurance systems and settlement processes play in criminal proceedings, separate from legal punishment.

The court stated that it considered the fact that the defendant had no prior criminal record exceeding a fine, as well as his attitude of admitting his wrongdoing. Nevertheless, the weight of the result—four deaths—cannot be taken lightly. While some may criticize the sentence as being somewhat lenient, the judiciary had little choice but to comprehensively consider the defendant's level of remorse and the settlement with the victims within legal standards. This incident leaves our society with the homework of deeper reflection on safety management for elderly drivers, technical safeguards to prevent pedal misoperation, and measures for victim relief when accidents occur.