Police Conclude Driver's Inexperience Caused 'Tesla Passenger Fatal Accident'

Police Announce Analysis Results of Tesla Collision Accident in Yongsan-gu Last December
National Forensic Service Findings: Brake Malfunctioned, Only Accelerator Pedal Operated

Last December, a Tesla passenger car caught fire after a collision in an underground parking lot of an apartment in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, resulting in one death and two injuries. Photo by Yongsan Fire Station

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] The police concluded that the Tesla passenger car collision accident that occurred last December in the underground parking lot of an apartment in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, was due to driver error, not a vehicle defect.

On the 1st, the Seoul Yongsan Police Station stated regarding the cause of the Tesla Model X occupant fatal traffic accident at an apartment in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, "After comprehensively reviewing the National Forensic Service's analysis results, CCTV footage from the accident scene, and the driving conditions at the time of the accident, it was determined that this traffic accident was caused by driver (substitute driver Mr. A)'s operational error. The driver will be sent to the prosecution on charges of violating the Special Act on Traffic Accident Handling."

At around 9:43 p.m. on December 9 last year, a Tesla car entering the underground parking lot of an apartment in Yongsan-gu collided with the parking lot wall, causing a fire due to the impact, resulting in the death of the car owner, Mr. Yoon (60), who was seated in the front passenger seat.

The substitute driver, Mr. A, currently claims that the accident was caused by sudden unintended acceleration of the vehicle. According to the police, the National Forensic Service's analysis found no mechanical defects in the braking system. Additionally, the telematics (vehicle wireless internet service) driving data inspection revealed that contrary to the driver's claim, the brake was not applied from the parking lot entrance to the collision, and only the accelerator pedal was operated. Notably, acceleration began 10 seconds before the collision, and from 4 seconds before, the accelerator pedal was fully pressed, reaching an estimated speed of about 95 km/h at the time of impact.

Meanwhile, it was analyzed that the victim's seat door opening mechanism of the accident vehicle was deformed due to the impact at the time of the accident, making it difficult to open normally even when operating the internal door lever.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.