ANSEONG — A driver in his 60s who plowed a one-ton truck into a flea market event in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, killing two people and injuring five, has admitted to police to confusing the pedals. The driver initially said the accelerator had been mistaken for the brake, then claimed the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own, before again acknowledging the error.
According to the Anseong Police Station and other sources on the 21st, the driver, identified only as A, who was booked on charges of death and injury by negligent driving under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents, told investigators on the morning of the 21st that the accelerator had been pressed in the belief that it was the brake. A had made the same statement immediately after the accident on the 19th but later reversed course and said the truck had suddenly accelerated. In the latest questioning, A again conceded to having operated the wrong pedal and accepted responsibility for the crash.
A pre-detention hearing for A was held at 11 a.m. at the Pyeongtaek Branch of the Suwon District Court. Leaving the detention cell at the Pyeongtaek Police Station, A gave only a brief reply — "I am sorry" — to reporters asking whether the charges were accepted and why sudden acceleration had been claimed. Asked about any message for the bereaved family, A said, "I have committed a sin worthy of death," before boarding the transport vehicle. A decision on whether to detain the driver was expected late in the day.
A is accused of driving a one-ton truck into a flea market held at Gongdo No. 10 Children's Park in Gongdo-eup, Anseong, at about 11:18 a.m. on the 19th, killing two people and injuring five. A woman in her 40s who was volunteering at the event, preparing secondhand clothing sales and hands-on activities, and her middle school-aged son were struck by the truck and died. Five others suffered serious or minor injuries.
Police found that A caused the crash while forcing the truck into an area of the park closed to vehicles. Investigators plan to send the truck to the National Forensic Service for detailed analysis to determine the exact cause.
With pedal misapplication emerging as the cause, concern over drivers aged 60 and older is expected to grow. Last year, drivers aged 60 or older were involved in 65,421 traffic accidents, accounting for 33.7% of the 193,389 accidents nationwide. That compares with 62,592 accidents in 2024, or 31.9% of the 196,349 total — an increase of 2,829 cases and a rise of 1.8 percentage points in share.
