Driver who killed 9-year-old at crosswalk claimed to be 'possessed by ghost,' snapped at victim's family

A driver in his 60s who struck and killed an elementary school student crossing a crosswalk has been booked without detention. The driver told police he had been "possessed by a ghost," and reportedly reacted with irritation toward the victim's family immediately after the crash.

According to JTBC's crime affairs program "Sageon Banjang" on Wednesday, the Gangdong Police Station in Seoul booked the man, identified only as A, on charges of causing death under the Road Traffic Accident Act after he struck and killed a 9-year-old boy who was crossing a crosswalk on a bicycle.

The accident occurred around 8:50 p.m. Sunday at an intersection in Gangdong-gu. The boy, also referred to as A, had been heading to a nearby mart with his mother when the pedestrian signal turned green and he rode his bicycle across the road.

The driver's SUV, which had been stopped at the red light, suddenly lurched forward and struck the boy. The vehicle ran over him before hitting his mother as well, then came to a stop.

Paramedics arrived at the scene about two minutes after receiving the emergency call and performed CPR on the boy before transporting him to a hospital, but he did not survive.

The boy's father described what he saw on the dashcam footage. "It had stopped right in front of the crosswalk, then suddenly took off the moment the light turned green," he said. "It made no sense — I even found myself wondering if this was someone who had a grudge against us."

The driver told police during questioning that he had been "possessed by a ghost." No evidence of alcohol consumption or drug use was found.

The boy's father said he suspected the driver had not been watching the road. "The accident happened because he wasn't looking ahead properly," he said. "I suspect he may have been looking at his phone or doing something else."

The driver's conduct immediately after the crash also enraged the family. The boy's older sister recounted that when their mother asked why he had driven through a red light, the driver snapped, "OK, I get it!" She said she then asked him, "Aren't you even sorry? Why are you acting so brazen?" — to which he looked her straight in the eye and shot back, "OK, I'm sorry!" in the same irritated tone.

The driver is currently under investigation without detention. The boy's father said: "He didn't even come to the funeral. If I had been the one who caused the accident, I would have gone to apologize even if the police told me not to leave, even if it meant getting beaten at the wake."

He added, "He destroyed an entire family, and yet he's being investigated without detention for negligent homicide — I'm furious." "I cannot accept an investigation without detention. He must be arrested," he pleaded.