"Losing My Beloved Grandson, Only I Survived..." Grandmother's Plea After Sudden Acceleration Accident in Gangneung

"Falsely Accused of Negligence, Unable to Live with Guilt"
First Hearing Held for Damages Lawsuit Against Manufacturer

Amid the first civil trial to determine liability for a suspected sudden unintended acceleration accident that occurred in Gangneung last December, driver Mr. A, who lost his 12-year-old grandson in the accident, repeatedly emphasized that it was a sudden unintended acceleration incident, not driver negligence, saying, "Who would deliberately cause an accident and lose their grandson?"

The Civil Division 2 of the Chuncheon District Court Gangneung Branch (Presiding Judge Park Jae-hyung) held the first hearing on the 23rd for a damage compensation claim of approximately 760 million KRW filed by Mr. A and his family against the manufacturer.

In December last year, a grandmother in her 60s, who lost her 12-year-old grandson in a suspected sudden unintended acceleration accident in Gangneung and was booked on charges of death under the Special Act on Traffic Accident Handling, has completed her first police interrogation and is leaving the police station supported by her son.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The plaintiff's attorney stated, "This case has the four typical elements of sudden unintended acceleration," mentioning the roaring 'woeng' sound, liquid flowing from the muffler, tire marks on the road, and white smoke.

He continued, "The black box recorded the driver's voice indicating vehicle malfunction," emphasizing, "It was a sudden unintended acceleration accident that lasted 30 seconds." Regarding the possibility of pedal misapplication, he dismissed it, saying, "It contradicts ergonomic analysis and empirical rules."

The defendant's legal representative said, "We will provide a detailed rebuttal after reviewing the National Forensic Service's (NFS) appraisal results," adding, "Since we have only recently taken charge of the case, we are preparing specific documents and will submit them as quickly as possible."

In response, the court pointed out that since the complaint was filed in January and the hearing was notified in March, "the defendant did not respond promptly, and any disadvantage resulting from this must be borne."

The plaintiff sought to prove the loss of reliability of the Event Data Recorder (EDR) by highlighting contradictions between the NFS's EDR inspection results showing the vehicle speed was 110 km/h five seconds before the accident with an RPM rising to 5500, but the speed "hardly increased," and the claim that the accelerator pedal was pressed.

They also applied for an acoustic analysis appraisal to clarify differences in sound characteristics between normal rapid acceleration engine noise and the engine noise during this accident. The court accepted both the EDR and acoustic analysis appraisals submitted by the plaintiff.

The first trial of the civil lawsuit over the responsibility for the suspected sudden unintended acceleration accident that occurred in Gangneung last December was held on the afternoon of the 23rd at the Chuncheon District Court Gangneung Branch. The photo shows about 17,000 petitions gathered from across the country. [Image source=Yonhap News]

During the trial, driver Mr. A and his son, the father of the deceased child, were given the opportunity to speak and appealed for the truth to be revealed.

Mr. A said, "I am sorry and heartbroken for surviving after losing my beloved grandson. Who would deliberately cause an accident and lose their grandson?" He added, "I cannot live with the guilt of being falsely accused of causing the accident through my fault. I earnestly hope the judge will uncover the truth." He then choked up, saying, "I am a sinner. My grandson should have lived..."

Mr. A's son said, "'A society where the strong have always beaten the right' is most exemplified by sudden unintended acceleration accidents," adding, "It is contradictory and violent to require the driver to fully prove the cause of sudden unintended acceleration accidents. How long must the precious value of citizens' lives be neglected in the face of manufacturers' vested interests and tyranny?"

He continued, "In South Korea, sudden unintended acceleration accidents are like family destroyers and serial killers," appealing, "Please thoroughly investigate the cause of this accident and let South Korea know that 'the right can overcome the strong'."

He also added, "I earnestly appeal to members of the National Assembly to ensure that this case becomes the first to win a sudden unintended acceleration accident lawsuit, so that manufacturers no longer neglect or overlook such incidents and that legal reforms are enacted."

On December 6 last year, in Hongje-dong, Gangneung City, a suspected sudden unintended acceleration accident involving an SUV driven by Mr. A with his grandson on board resulted in the grandson's death and serious injuries to Mr. A. Mr. A was booked on charges of involuntary manslaughter under the Special Act on Traffic Accident Handling and was investigated by the police in March.

The court set the next hearing for June 27 and decided to appoint an expert appraiser at that time to specify the parts necessary for the appraisal.

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