Truck crash at Anseong flea market kills mother and son, injures five

A 1-ton truck plowed into a crowd at a flea market in Anseong, Gyeonggi, on Saturday, killing a woman and her son and injuring five others.

The truck, which was carrying secondhand goods, struck seven people at the flea market at a park in Gongdo-eup at around 11:18 a.m., police and fire authorities said Saturday.

The woman and her son were taken to a hospital while unconscious and later died. Authorities confirmed that they were mother and son.

Three others — a woman and a man in their 20s and another man in his 60s — were taken to a hospital with injuries including leg fractures. Two others, including a woman in her 50s who experienced difficulty breathing, received emergency treatment at the scene.

A large crowd had gathered at the park ahead of a flea market event hosted by the Anseong city government and organized by the city's sustainable development committee.

Nearby surveillance footage showed the truck suddenly traveling about 25 meters (82 feet) into the park before the accident.

Police believe the crash occurred as the driver was stopping the truck to unload secondhand goods at the event site.

The driver initially told the police they had "mistaken the accelerator for the brake" but later changed the account and said, "The vehicle suddenly accelerated." Investigators found no indication that the driver had consumed alcohol or taken drugs.

Police placed the driver under emergency arrest and sought a detention warrant on charges of causing death and injury under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents.

The truck will also be sent to the National Forensic Service for a detailed examination to determine the exact cause of the crash.

BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]