Driver of truck that killed 2 in Bucheon says he suffers from rare brain condition

The driver under investigation for a crash that left 2 dead and 19 injured in Bucheon Thursday appeared in court Saturday for a pretrial detention hearing, telling reporters he suffers from a rare condition that can impair blood flow to the brain.

The man accused of plowing a 1-ton truck through a traditional market in Bucheon, Gyeonggi, arrives for a pretrial detention hearing at the Bucheon branch of the Incheon District Court on Nov. 15. [NEWS1]

A 67-year-old truck driver under investigation for a crash that left two people dead and 19 injured at a traditional market in Bucheon, Gyeonggi, on Thursday appeared in court Saturday for a pretrial detention hearing, telling reporters he suffers from a rare condition that can impair blood flow to the brain and that his memory "comes and goes."

The Bucheon Ojeong Police Precinct said it has requested an arrest warrant on charges of fatal injury under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents.

The driver arrived at the Bucheon branch of the Incheon District Court with a hat and mask pulled low over his face, covering his handcuffed hands as he stepped out of a police vehicle.

He told reporters he suffers from moyamoya disease, a rare condition in which arteries at the base of the brain progressively narrow, raising the risk of stroke and neurological impairment.

When asked whether he had pressed the accelerator instead of the brake, he avoided a direct answer and instead described his health.

“My moyamoya disease is very severe,” he said. “For 60 years, I sold nothing but fish. I’ve never slept more than four hours. I was buried in debt and worked so hard that my body broke down, and my memory keeps coming and going.”

Asked if he had anything to say to the victims, he repeated only: “My memory keeps coming and going.”

Police said the statement contradicted what he told investigators earlier, when he reportedly said his medical condition did not affect his ability to drive.

The man accused of plowing a one-ton truch through a traditional market in Bucheon, Gyeonggi arrives for a pretrial detention hearing at the Bucheon branch of the Incheon District Court on Nov. 15. [NEWS1]

The man is accused of driving a 1-ton truck into Jeil Market in Wonjeong-dong at 10:54 a.m. on Thursday, killing two women and injuring 19 people. The two casualties were vendors; the 19 who were injured were shoppers.

A police investigation found that the suspect's truck backed up by about 1 to 2 meters (3.3 to 6.6 feet) before surging forward 132 meters, hitting people and market stalls. Police revised an earlier report by fire authorities — which stated that the truck reversed 28 meters and drove forward 150 meters — after examining on-site measurements.

After reviewing data from the vehicle, police confirmed Friday that the suspect had stepped on the accelerator, causing the crash.

Police have asked the National Forensic Service and the Korea Road Traffic Authority to analyse the truck’s event data recorder to determine speed, braking and other technical details. Because the case meets the threshold for a “major traffic accident” — three or more deaths or 20 or more injuries — it is being handled directly by the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY BAE JAE-SUNG [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]