‘Chamoe (68), the driver involved in the ‘Seoul City Hall reverse driving traffic accident’ that resulted in 14 casualties, denied the charges in the first trial, claiming, “I did not press the accelerator pedal.” The trial was held on the 30th of July at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, where Chamoe attended the pre-trial examination as the suspect under detention.’
Judge Lee Chun-geun from the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 1 presided over Chamoe’s first trial on the 11th on charges of violating the Special Act on Traffic Accident Handling (fatality). Chamoe, who appeared in court wearing a green suit, had a stolid expression throughout the trial.
During the trial, the prosecution explained the charges, stating, “Chamoe drove at speeds ranging from 62 km/h to 105 km/h while pressing the accelerator pedal without driving towards the uninhabited side or giving prior warning by honking the horn.” In response, Chamoe’s defense attorney stated, “We deny the charges. At the time of the incident, despite not pressing the accelerator pedal, the car accelerated due to another cause, and even when the brake pedal was pressed, the braking did not occur. Therefore, it cannot be said that there was negligence on the part of the defendant even if they did not take preparatory measures such as warning by honking the horn while driving in reverse.”
The defense attorney also expressed disagreement with expert evaluations by the National Institute of Scientific Investigation (NISI) and the vehicle manufacturer regarding the evidence submitted by the prosecution, stating that they would go through additional fact-finding procedures.
Previously, Chamoe was accused of causing casualties by driving on a one-way road in reverse at a hotel near Seoul City Hall in July, resulting in fatalities and injuries. Nine people died, and five were injured in the accident. Chamoe had claimed sudden acceleration immediately after the accident. However, based on the investigation of the vehicle’s electronic device data and black box footage, the prosecution concluded that Chamoe had pressed the accelerator pedal.
The prosecution requested NISI officials and representatives from the automobile manufacturer as witnesses on the trial day. The court set the next trial date for November 13th to conduct witness testimonies.