Driver in His 60s Arrested After Plowing Truck Into Ansung Flea Market

A man in his 60s, identified only as Mr. A, who drove a one-ton truck into a flea market event in Ansung, Gyeonggi Province, leaving seven people dead or injured, has been arrested on charges of causing death and injury under the Special Act on the Handling of Traffic Accidents, which sets the standards for punishing drivers who cause traffic accidents. The court ruled that there was a risk of flight given the large number of victims and the gravity of the charges. During police questioning, Mr. A initially stated that he had accidentally mishandled the controls, then later claimed sudden unintended acceleration — a phenomenon in which a car accelerates on its own without the driver pressing the pedal — before finally admitting to the charges, saying he had mistaken the accelerator for the brake.

The accident occurred at around 11:18 a.m. on the 19th, when the one-ton truck plowed into the flea market event as it was entering a children's park in Gongdo-eup, Ansung. The vehicle is owned by Ansung City and used in a recycling collection incentive program, and it was confirmed that Mr. A worked for the city as a temporary worker.

Two people died in the crash. They were a woman in her 40s and her teenage child, who were reportedly struck while volunteering at the event. Five others were injured.

Mr. A, wearing a hat and mask as he left the police station, repeatedly apologized in response to questions from reporters. Asked why he had changed his statement to claim sudden unintended acceleration, he replied, "I'm sorry. I have nothing to say." And when asked whether he had anything to say to the bereaved family, he said, "I have committed a sin deserving death. I am sorry."

Police plan to have the National Forensic Service examine the vehicle to determine the exact circumstances of the accident.