Two drivers were injured after three dump trucks collided in succession at Hwarangdae Intersection in Nowon-gu, Seoul, at around 7:01 a.m. on June 29. [Road Traffic Information Center]
Two drivers were injured after three dump trucks collided in succession at Hwarangdae Intersection in Nowon-gu, Seoul, at around 7:01 a.m. on June 29. [Road Traffic Information Center]

The driver whose dump truck triggered a three-vehicle collision at Hwarangdae Intersection in Nowon-gu, Seoul, in June was found to have been driving while drowsy, investigators said.

The Seoul Nowon Police Station said Wednesday it plans to refer the driver on charges of violating the Special Act on the Processing of Traffic Accidents for running a red light.

At around 7:01 a.m. on June 28, the driver, identified only as A, ran a red light while making a left turn at Hwarangdae Intersection in Gongneung-dong, Nowon-gu, and struck two other dump trucks in succession. Two drivers — one in their 50s and one in their 60s — were taken to hospital complaining of back and knee pain, though neither was seriously injured.

The driver initially told police he had pressed the brakes but they had failed to respond properly, suggesting a mechanical defect.

Police found no evidence of road or environmental conditions that could have caused the crash after examining the scene.

A National Forensic Service analysis confirmed the truck's braking system had no functional defects. Air pressure was supplied normally to the brakes, all wheels functioned properly, and no trace of brake application was found at the time of the collision.

The driver later admitted to police that he had been drowsy at the wheel. He told investigators he had not slept enough before his early-morning shift on Tuesday.

Police concluded the driver, impaired by drowsiness, failed to operate the brakes properly and entered the intersection against a red light, causing the crash.


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