Driver Who Ran Over 8-Year-Old Girl's Foot Acquitted of Hit-and-Run in Appeal

A man in his 70s on trial for allegedly hitting an elementary school student with his car and fleeing the scene has been cleared of hit-and-run charges in his second trial, receiving a dismissal of the indictment.

The Criminal Appeal Division 2 of the Seoul Northern District Court (Presiding Judge Jung Wooseok) dismissed the prosecution's appeal on the 14th in the trial of A (72), who was charged with fleeing resulting in injury under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes.

The prosecution had appealed the lower court's ruling, which found A not guilty, arguing that A fled despite knowing he had struck the victim with his vehicle.

The court ruled that the evidence submitted by the prosecution was insufficient to prove the charges in the indictment.

In January 2024, A was put on trial for driving an SUV and striking an 8-year-old elementary school student, identified by her surname Kim, who was walking with her grandmother. A allegedly knocked her down with the front passenger-side fender of the vehicle and left the scene without taking any measures.

As the car wheel rolled over the fallen girl's foot, Kim sustained a sprained ankle and bruises requiring two weeks of medical treatment.

Investigations showed that A continued driving to a parking lot about 178 meters away from the accident site.

A claimed to Kim's grandmother, who chased after him to the scene, "I didn't see the child while trying to give way to an oncoming car from the front, and I didn't even know an accident had occurred."

Previously, the first-instance court found the hit-and-run charge not guilty, stating, "Given that the hood height of A's vehicle is relatively high at 120 cm while the victim is short, the possibility that he was unaware of the impact cannot be ruled out."

Furthermore, regarding the charge of violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning Traffic Accidents (causing injury) included in the indictment, because the vehicle was covered by comprehensive insurance, indictments cannot be filed for such offenses. Consequently, the court dismissed the indictment along with the hit-and-run acquittal.

In a petition submitted during the trial, Kim's parents pleaded, "Our daughter said it hurt so much she couldn't breathe when she was hit by the car. Since the accident, whenever she passes the road where it happened, she recalls the incident and struggles so much that we even had to move."

(Photo provided by Kim's father, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.