Cynthia Ezegwu
South Korean police are seeking to keep in custody a truck driver who ploughed into a bustling traditional market in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, killing two people and injuring 19 others.
The incident occurred on Thursday when the man, said to be in his sixties, drove his one-ton cargo truck into shoppers and street stalls. According to a police report, the vehicle first reversed unexpectedly before accelerating forward for about 130 metres through the narrow market lanes.
Police confirmed to AFP on Friday that an arrest warrant has been requested for the suspect on charges of causing death and injury under the Act on Special Cases of Traffic Accidents.
“We questioned the suspect for about two and a half hours yesterday,” a police official said, adding that the decision to seek a warrant reflected “the seriousness of the offence.”
Authorities have also requested a detailed analysis of the truck’s event data recorder by traffic and forensic experts to determine the cause of the crash.
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The National Fire Agency said most of the victims were between the ages of 50 and 70. Two people died from their injuries, while others sustained varying degrees of trauma.
Local media reported that the suspect told investigators he suffers from moyamoya, a rare blood vessel disorder, for which he is on prescribed medication. However, he insisted the condition “has nothing to do with driving and does not affect my ability to drive.”
Deadly mass-casualty transport accidents are relatively rare in South Korea, a country known for its strict road safety standards and well-maintained infrastructure.