SUV Driven by Woman in Her 60s Crashes Onto Sidewalk Due to ‘Operational Error
Original source: Chosun Ilbo, “SUV Driven by Woman in Her 60s Crashes Onto Sidewalk Due to ‘Operational Error’… 3 Pedestrians Injured,” 2026.09.07.
An SUV crashed onto a sidewalk in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, injuring three people.
According to the Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters, at around 1:23 p.m. on the 7th, an SUV driven by a woman in her 60s, identified as A, suddenly veered onto the sidewalk near a commercial building in Wongok-dong, Danwon-gu, Ansan.
Firefighters transported three injured people, including one person who had been trapped underneath the vehicle, to a hospital.
One of the pedestrians suffered abrasions to the forehead and shoulder, as well as a decreased level of consciousness and other serious injuries.
A is reportedly said to have told police that there had been an “operational error.” Police are investigating the exact circumstances of the accident.
Oh, another vehicle has crashed onto a sidewalk like this.
I see sidewalk-intrusion accidents as being somewhat similar to random assaults.
Of course, random assault involves a clear intention to attack someone rather than an accident,
so it cannot be viewed in exactly the same way as a vehicle entering a sidewalk.
There are certainly many cases where a vehicle enters a sidewalk unintentionally.
But there is a reason I still write about it this way.
When you normally walk along a sidewalk,
do you worry that a passing car might suddenly come onto the sidewalk and hit you?
Probably not.
Because your mind does not regard that as something that normally happens.
Do you worry that some random man walking past you might suddenly punch you right in the face?
Probably not.
It would certainly be frightening, but it is not something that normally happens.
That is what I mean when I say I see them as similar in this particular sense.
Because I believe these are serious matters that can lower the quality of life of ordinary citizens.
If something happens on the road you take every day,
and because of it you suddenly develop a new worry that you never used to have,
that is different from the occasional thought before going out for fun,
such as, “Could I get hurt?”
And apparently, the National Assembly did not take the issue lightly either.
In 1993, operating heavy machinery without a license, starting from a stop with the vehicle door open, and
driving onto a sidewalk
were added to the list of major negligence offenses, creating the 11 major traffic negligence offenses.
| Period | Number of major-negligence exceptions at the time | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 8 | Traffic Accident Compensation Act enacted |
| 1993 | 11 | Three added: operating heavy machinery without a license, driving onto a sidewalk, and starting from a stop with the vehicle door open |
| 2009 | 11 → 12 | Accidents in child protection zones added |
| 2017 | 12 | Current system of 12 major traffic negligence offenses |
The original eight offenses, before the list became eleven, were as follows.
Violating traffic signals, crossing the center line, speeding by 20 km/h or more above the posted limit, violating rules or prohibitions on overtaking, violating railway crossing rules, violating the duty to protect pedestrians at crosswalks, driving without a license, and drunk driving.
Yes, that’s right.
It is essentially saying that driving onto a sidewalk was placed in the same category as crossing the center line, running a red light, driving without a license, and drunk driving.
In other words, it was recognized as an issue that should never be taken lightly.
Being included among these major negligence offenses means that
you can think of it as creating the possibility of receiving a prison sentence.
What does that mean?
Let’s say it is an ordinary traffic accident.
Even if
the driver injures someone through negligence,
if the driver has comprehensive insurance → the accident does not involve one of the 12 major negligence offenses → and it is not a hit-and-run
then, under the special provisions of the Traffic Accident Compensation Act, criminal prosecution
generally cannot be initiated.
Put very simply:
Vehicle ↔ vehicle accident → 1 person injured → insured →
no major negligence
In this situation, the matter may be resolved through insurance and civil damages without going as far as a criminal trial.
You can think of it as an ordinary traffic accident.
The insurance company handles it.
But if one of the 12 major negligence offenses is involved,
the special exemption from criminal liability does not apply.
| Category | Ordinary negligent traffic accident | Sidewalk-intrusion accident |
|---|---|---|
| Person injured in a vehicle accident | Possible | Possible |
| Comprehensive insurance | Special exemption from criminal prosecution may apply | Special exemption does not apply |
| Settlement with the victim | Generally has a significant effect on preventing criminal proceedings | Settlement does not automatically eliminate criminal liability |
| Criminal case | May end without prosecution | Prosecution possible |
| Statutory punishment | Article 3(1) of the Traffic Accident Compensation Act | Same statutory range for injury under the Traffic Accident Compensation Act |
| Actual sentence | Depends on the severity of the accident, negligence, settlement, etc. | Depends on the severity of the accident, negligence, settlement, etc. |
In any case, in order to impose an appropriate and proper punishment,
the circumstances of the accident, the driver’s intent, and all the specific details will need to be considered together.
There should be no one who is unfairly punished,
but there should also be no one who receives a punishment heavier than what they deserve.