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Cruise control engaged before driver dozed off in fatal car crash: Investigators

Published: 08 Jan. 2026, 11:12

A car is damaged due to a crash at the Seohaean Expressway on Jan. 4 near Gochang in North Jeolla. [JEONBUK FIRE SERVICE]

The driver of an SUV involved in a horrific crash that killed a police officer and a tow-truck driver was found to have dozed off with the vehicle’s cruise control system turned on, according to investigators.

"An analysis of the vehicle’s event data recorder (EDR) and the driver’s statement confirmed that the suspect had been using the cruise control function while driving," the Jeonbuk Gochang Police Precinct said Thursday.

Cruise control is a driver-assistance feature that allows a vehicle to maintain a set speed without the driver having to press the accelerator pedal.

“However, the direct cause of the accident is believed to be drowsy driving," said the police. "It is difficult to conclusively determine the role the cruise control system played in the crash."

The suspect is accused of causing a fatal crash on Jan. 4 at 1:23 a.m. near the Gochang Interchange on the Seohaean Expressway while allegedly driving tired. The driver faces charges of causing death and injury in a traffic accident under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents. The collision left two people dead and nine others injured.

At the time of the crash, the victims — a police officer and a tow-truck driver — had been responding to a separate traffic accident. Lee Seung-cheol, a 55-year-old superintendent with the 12th Highway Patrol Unit under the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency, and a 38-year-old tow truck operator were struck and killed by the SUV.

The government has posthumously awarded Superintendent Lee the Green Stripes Order of Service Merit, and the National Police Agency promoted him one rank, from senior inspector to superintendent.

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 JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]