▲ CCTV footage of the accident in Seongbuk-gu, where a driver in their 70s struck an 8-year-old elementary school student.
A driver in their 70s who struck an 8-year-old elementary school student in an alleyway and continued driving has been acquitted of hit-and-run charges in the first trial.
The incident occurred on January 10, 2024, at approximately 3:20 p.m. in a narrow alley on Dobong-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul.
An 8-year-old girl, identified by her surname Kim, was walking while holding her grandmother's hand when she was struck by the passenger-side fender of a passing black SUV and fell to the ground.
Subsequently, the front wheel of the vehicle drove over the child's foot.
The accident left the girl with an ankle sprain and bruising, requiring two weeks of medical treatment.
However, the driver, a 72-year-old identified as A, did not stop and continued driving.
The driver parked the vehicle at a villa parking lot approximately 178 meters away from the scene of the accident.
The girl's grandmother chased after the car and confronted the driver, asking, "Why did you just drive away after hurting the child?"
The elderly driver, A, explained, "I was trying to make room for an oncoming vehicle and did not see the child; I was not even aware that an accident had occurred."
The girl's father strongly refuted the driver's excuse, stating, "The grandmother even shouted after the vehicle hit the child."
He expressed his frustration, adding, "It makes no sense to claim they didn't know, considering you can hear even a small pebble hit the car while driving."
The prosecution determined it was a hit-and-run accident.
They indicted A on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes, specifically for fleeing the scene after causing injury.
However, in June of last year, the Seoul Northern District Court, acting as the first-instance court, acquitted the defendant of the hit-and-run charge and dismissed the indictment.
The court reasoned that because the hood of the vehicle driven by A was relatively high at 120 cm, and the victim was small and light, it was possible that the driver was unaware of the accident.
The fact that there was almost no shaking of the vehicle after it drove over the child was also cited as grounds for the acquittal.
The National Forensic Service also provided an opinion based on CCTV analysis, stating that while it appeared the defendant could have perceived the accident, it was impossible to objectively and clearly determine whether they had.
The court added that if A had intended to flee, they would not have driven slowly and parked less than 200 meters away.
Regarding the additional charge of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents, the court could not proceed with the prosecution because the vehicle was covered by comprehensive insurance.
The prosecution appealed the first-instance ruling.
Following the second-instance trial held on the 17th, the appellate court's verdict is scheduled to be delivered on August 14.
(Photo: Provided by the victim's father, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.