Prosecutors on Tuesday indicted the driver of a car that rammed into pedestrians and killed nine near Seoul City Hall last month, determining that he mistook the accelerator for the brake.

The 68-year-old driver, surnamed Cha, was charged with negligent driving resulting in deaths and injuries in the July 1 crash in which his car darted in the wrong direction on a one-way road before crashing into sidewalk guardrails, hitting pedestrians, and ramming into two other cars.

Five people were also injured.

Cha, who was arrested last month, has consistently blamed sudden unintended acceleration.

But the investigation found no mechanical defect in the brake system. It also found that the brake was not applied at the time and the pattern imprinted on the outsole of the driver’s shoe also matched that of the accelerator.

The car’s brake lights were not illuminated while it was being driven, but an experiment on the vehicle conducted by the National Forensic Service found the brakes and brake lights functioned pr
operly even when the brake booster, which boosts the performance of brakes, did not work.

Source: Yonhap News Agency