Driver said he stepped on the wrong pedal, but later claimed sudden acceleration
A tragedy struck at the site of a flea market in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, Saturday, as a small truck killed two volunteer workers and injured five others.
The victims were preparing for the event at a neighborhood park, when the vehicle ran them over at around 11:18 a.m. The two people who died were a woman in her 40s and her son, who was in middle school.
The five injured include a woman in her 20s who sustained fractures on both her legs.
Police are conducting interviews of the driver and eyewitnesses, while checking the surveillance footage to determine the cause of the accident, which occurred in an area normally not accessible to vehicles.
Investigators believe that the driver, in his 60s, lost control of the vehicle as he was entering the park.
The driver initially said he mistook the gas pedal for the brake, but later changed his testimony to claim sudden unintended acceleration.
Investigators also plan to look into whether the organizers of the event —the Anseong city government and a civil-public committee for sustainable development — had implemented sufficient safety measures.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
