Driver of '14 Casualties' City Hall Station Wrong-Way Incident, Sentence Reduced in Appeal...5 Years Imprisonment

[Financial News] The driver Cha Mo, who caused the 'City Hall Station Wrong-Way Accident' resulting in 14 casualties, had his sentence partially reduced in appeal and was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment.
The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Appeal Division 5-1 (Presiding Judges So Byeong-jin, Kim Yong-jung, Kim Ji-seon) sentenced Cha, who was indicted on charges including violation of the Special Act on Traffic Accident Handling (causing death), to 5 years imprisonment, reduced from the 7 years and 6 months in the first trial. Imprisonment deprives the defendant of physical freedom by confining them in prison, but does not impose labor.
The court pointed out that the first trial's judgment of Cha's charges as 'real concurrence' was wrong and should be seen as 'ideal concurrence'. Real concurrence refers to multiple crimes arising from multiple acts, while ideal concurrence refers to a single act corresponding to multiple crimes.
The court viewed Cha's wrong-way driving act as a single act leading to the collision. Accordingly, it judged that Cha's punishment should be imprisonment of up to 5 years.
However, the court did not accept Cha's claims of 'sudden acceleration' or 'vehicle defect', similar to the first trial.
The court noted, “Due to the defendant's occupational negligence, 9 people died and 5 were injured, resulting in irreversible serious consequences, and it is difficult to see that the damage has been fully recovered with the money paid to some bereaved families,” emphasizing the need for strict punishment corresponding to the responsibility.
Additionally, the fact that Cha still denies the crime and has not reached an agreement with some victims was reflected as an unfavorable circumstance. On the other hand, the fact that agreements were reached with some bereaved families and injured victims through insurance was considered. 
Cha was arrested and indicted for driving the wrong way on a one-way street after leaving a hotel near City Hall Station in Jung-gu, Seoul last July, causing casualties by rushing onto the sidewalk. This accident resulted in 9 deaths and 5 injuries.
The first trial sentenced Cha to 7 years and 6 months imprisonment last February. At that time, the court, based on the National Forensic Service's appraisal and experimental results, did not accept the sudden acceleration claim and judged that there were no mechanical defects in the vehicle's acceleration and braking systems.
It also considered that Cha repeatedly pressed the accelerator pedal, not the brake, while rushing towards pedestrians at the time of the accident.
 



scottchoi15@fnnews.com Choi Eun-sol Reporter