Elderly Unlicensed Driver Injures Elementary School Student

A second-grade elementary school girl who was on her way to school was seriously injured after being hit by a vehicle driven by an elderly unlicensed driver at a crosswalk, causing public outrage.

According to JTBC's 'Incident Report' on the 11th, A girl in second grade, referred to as A, was crossing the crosswalk when the traffic light turned green on the 1st of last month when she was struck by a vehicle making a right turn. As a result of this accident, A lost three permanent teeth and suffered severe facial bone fractures.

A's mother stated, "I received a call from an unknown number saying 'Your child has been injured' and rushed to the scene," adding, "The driver did not take any prompt action after the accident and only made a ridiculous statement saying, 'I’m not that kind of person. I was the principal.'"

The elderly man who caused the accident had been driving without a license since January 1st of this year due to not undergoing the necessary aptitude test for license renewal, resulting in a major accident.

Witnesses reported that immediately after the accident, the driver remarked, "Oh? I hit something?" without taking any immediate action.

The driver involved in the incident has been sent to prosecutors without detention on charges of bodily injury under the Special Act on Traffic Accident Handling, failure to protect pedestrians at crosswalks, and unlicensed driving.

Subsequently, on the 4th, the prosecutors decided to process the driver's case through a simplified procedure known as 'summary disposition,' which typically applies when the alleged offenses are deemed minor.

The offending driver apologized to A’s mother, saying, "In my 80 years of life, this is the first time this has happened. I’m completely at fault, and I ask for your forgiveness. Please be as lenient as possible," while also making the perplexing remark, "It was bad luck. Something worse could have happened."

He even reportedly said, "I hope the maximum treatment is done for the minimum amount."

Aftereffects of the Victim Student and Legal Response

Currently, A is receiving scar treatment at a plastic surgery clinic, and the three lost permanent teeth can only be treated with implants or other options after she becomes an adult.

A's mother claims the punishment given to the offending driver is too lenient and plans to submit a petition to the court and pursue civil litigation.

Meanwhile, under the current Road Traffic Act, holders of Class 2 licenses aged 70 and above are required to undergo an aptitude test during license renewal. Particularly since January 1, 2019, drivers over the age of 75 are mandated to take this test every three years.

If individuals over 70 with Class 2 licenses do not undergo the test within the designated period, they are subject to a fine of 30,000 won.

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