It was found that the driver of a passenger car who caused a series of rear-end collisions in downtown Daejeon was under the influence of drugs.
On the 15th, the Yuseong Police Station in Daejeon said it plans to refer driver A, in her 40s, to prosecutors on charges of death by negligence under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents and drugged driving under the Road Traffic Act in connection with the series of rear-end collisions that occurred in Daejeon on the 8th.
A is accused of driving a Tesla, a U.S. electric vehicle brand, on a road in Doryong-dong, Yuseong-gu, at about 1:50 p.m. on the 8th and crashing into a motorcycle ahead and then eight vehicles in succession.
In the crash, one motorcycle driver died and a total of 15 people, including drivers and passengers in the damaged vehicles, were injured.
Police, who obtained A's statement that A "momentarily fainted at the time of the crash," have investigated up to recently whether A had any underlying conditions and any link between such conditions and the crash.
In a police interview, A said A has epilepsy and took related medication on the day of the crash, and an analysis by the National Forensic Service found a positive reaction for benzodiazepines in A's blood.
Benzodiazepines are compounds mainly detected in psychoactive drugs and are said to affect driving due to side effects such as drowsiness, sluggishness and reduced concentration.
Police said, "The investigation is now complete, and we plan to refer the case to prosecutors without detention on the 16th."