Also on the local front.
The driver of the deadly car crash that led to over a dozen casualties Monday night claims his vehicle accelerated on its own and that his brakes failed to work.
Lee Seung-jae has the latest.
Police in Seoul have conducted their first interrogation on the driver behind the deadly car crash that killed nine and injured seven others near City Hall on Monday night.
The questioning took place on Thursday at Seoul National University Hospital where the driver is being treated, with four investigators and a lawyer present.
During the two-hour interview, the driver reiterated his initial statement that it was sudden unintended acceleration that caused the deadly accident.
According to the 68-year-old driver surnamed Cha, he tried to step on the brakes, but it was stiff and could not be pushed down.
As Cha is still recovering from his injuries, the police plan to continue questioning at a later date.
Additional investigations will be conducted to inquire about the basis for determining sudden unintended acceleration, whether there were any abnormalities during the vehicle operation, and why the driver was driving in the wrong direction in the first place.
It has been confirmed that the driver had begun accelerating from the time he left a hotel parking lot, so he’s also expected to be asked about the reason for speeding at the time.
On top of that, the police will question Cha over why he drove towards a group of pedestrians on the sidewalk.
Police also say, that based on an ongoing analysis of the sedan’s event data recorder, the suspect significantly pressed the accelerator shortly before the accident.
They also discovered that the secondary brake light did not light up during the accident, and that no skid marks were found at the scene,. contradicting the driver’s claim of having applied the brakes.
A Seoul court on Wednesday denied an arrest warrant request by the police, saying that he has no reason to evade police questioning, as he’s currently hospitalized and under police protection for his personal safety.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.
Source : Arirang TV, https://www.arirang.com/news/view?id=272927
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