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74-year-old driver in Yangcheon market accident diagnosed with dementia: Police

Published: 01 Jan. 2025, 17:31

The crashed Equus vehicle at the scene of the crash in Yangcheon District, western Seoul on Dec. 31. [YONHAP]

The 74-year-old driver of a car that plowed into an outdoor market in Yangcheon District, western Seoul, told police he was diagnosed with dementia.

Seoul Yangcheon Police Precinct said on Wednesday that the driver has been on medication since being diagnosed with dementia two years ago.

The driver drove a 2007-model Equus into the Mokdong Kkaebi Market after outrunning a bus at around 3:52 p.m. on Tuesday. The car stopped after crashing into people and store signs. A man in his 40s died and 12 people were injured as a result of the crash.

The fire authorities received a report that a vehicle struck people at Mokdong Kkaebi Market and immediately dispatched a team, which arrived at the accident site at around 3:59 p.m.

A total of 68 personnel were deployed to provide emergency aid.

The victims are currently being treated in a hospital nearby.

"I hadn't driven the car in a while and was worried about the battery running out, so I decided to take it out for the first time in a long time,” the driver told the police. “While trying to avoid the bus ahead, I accelerated and then hit the brakes in front of the market stalls, but after that, I don't remember very well."

Police confirmed that the car's brakes were functioning correctly by analyzing the CCTV footage of the crash. The driver is not claiming sudden unintended acceleration.

“We need to look further into whether the dementia factored into the accident,” said the police. “We are also confirming if the driver is currently displaying dementia symptoms.”

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]