Accident with claimed vehicle malfunction leaves 1 dead, 1 injured

One person was killed with another one injured when a car crashed into pedestrians at an apartment complex in central Seoul on Monday, police said.

The driver of the vehicle, a man in his late 50s, has claimed vehicle malfunction, but the police suspect "poor driving" may have caused the deadly accident.

The accident took place at an apartment complex in Ichon-dong, Yongsan, at around 11 a.m., when the vehicle crashed into a woman in her 50s and then another woman in her 80s, according to the police.

The woman in her 50s was conscious when she was taken to a hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival, while the elder woman had only suffered slight injuries.

Brief initial tests showed the driver was not under the influence of any drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident, according to the police.

The driver claimed the vehicle had gone out of control, but CCTV footage showed no brake lights had been lit until the moment of the crash.

The police said they are currently investigating the accident based on data such as CCTV footage and the vehicle's event data recorder.

They added they are considering asking the National Forensic Service to examine the vehicle to determine the exact cause of the accident, and whether to request an arrest warrant for the driver.

Monday's incident follows a deadly car crash near Seoul City Hall on July 1 that left nine people killed.

The driver in that accident, a 68-year-old former bus driver, had claimed vehicle malfunction, but the police have recently concluded that the accident may have been caused by driver mistakes. (Yonhap)