Another suspected sudden acceleration accident and 11-month-old granddaughter’s ‘run of fear’

Recently, there have been a series of suspected sudden acceleration accidents.

This time, the car the grandmother was driving suddenly overturned while speeding down the road.

◀ Anchor ▶

It was a new car that had only been on the market for two weeks, and my 11-month-old granddaughter was riding in the back seat.

This is reporter Seonyoung Lee.

◀ Report ▶

A road in Haman, Gyeongsangnam-do.

An SUV driven by a female driver in her 60s stopped at a red light at a three-way intersection.

[운전자 (음성변조)]
″Daddy Bear is fat. Mama bear is slim.″

My 11-month-old granddaughter was riding in the back seat.

The moment the light changes to blue and you are about to slowly drive off, the SUV suddenly speeds up and hits the car in front.

The vehicle that pushed the car in front begins to speed.

[운전자 (음성변조)]
″It’s mom. Come on, Irano. Come on, Irano. Wow Irano.″

The car drove backwards for about 500 meters and entered my lane, narrowly missing the cars in front, but eventually hit a telephone pole on the side of the road and was ejected.

[김덕현/목격자]
″Suddenly there was a loud bang and suddenly a car stopped in front… All the citizens went down and tried to get the driver out as much as possible… ″

The female driver in her 60s and her 11-month-old granddaughter suffered head and rib injuries, but fortunately escaped fatal injuries.

The distance the vehicle traveled was 1.3km.

It takes about 2 minutes to run at the prescribed speed, but this car ran in 49 seconds.

The vehicle involved in the accident was a new domestically manufactured car that had been on the market for only two weeks.

A driver in his 60s with 30 years of experience claimed sudden acceleration.

[사고 차량 운전자 (음성변조)]
″I slammed on the brakes like I was going to die. Even though he stepped on it with all his might, it still felt like a stone. Don’t step on it. Don’t step on it… “It flew like a jet.”

In response to this, the vehicle manufacturer said, “The exact cause is unknown as the vehicle has not been investigated, but we will actively cooperate with the investigation.”

Meanwhile, the police requested the National Forensic Service to analyze the accident recording device, saying it was difficult to confirm whether the brake lights were on because the rear of the vehicle reflected sunlight.

This is Seonyoung Lee from MBC News.