A bus driver who drove a city bus onto the sidewalk at the Seodaemun Station intersection in Seoul, injuring more than 10 people, reportedly claimed the brakes did not work properly.
Police and others said on the 16th that the bus driver, a man in his 50s identified as A, testified that "the brakes did not respond." No indications of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs were found.
Police booked A on suspicion of injury under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents. Police are investigating the circumstances of the crash based on nearby vehicle dashcams and closed-circuit (CC) TV footage. To check for possible vehicle defects, they also decided to request a vehicle appraisal from the National Forensic Service.
At about 1:15 p.m. that day, a No. 704 city bus rushed onto the sidewalk at the Seodaemun Station intersection and slammed into a building. Thirteen people, including the bus driver, were injured in the crash. In particular, a woman in her 50s walking along the street and a man in his 30s suffered serious injuries, including a leg fracture and head bleeding, and were taken to a hospital.