Dae-sung under probe for running over motorcyclist

By Lee Hyo-sik

Dae-sung, a member of K-pop idol group Big Bang, has been booked without physical detention on charges of running over a motorcyclist and ramming into a taxi in his sedan on a Han River bridge early Tuesday morning, police said Tuesday.

According to the account from the Yeongdeungpo Police Station, the 22-year-old pop star whose real name is Kang Dae-sung was driving his Audi on Yanghwa Bridge around 1:30 a.m. when he ran over a 30-year-old man lying on the road and then crashed into a parked taxi in front of the man.

Police said Dae-sung did not spot the man, surnamed Hyun, while driving at a speed of 80 kilometers per hour, well above the speed limit of 60 kilometers per hour, at the time of the accident.

Shortly before the accident, a 64-year-old taxi driver, surnamed Kim, found Hyun lying on the road next to a motorcycle. Kim stopped his vehicle to check on the motorcyclist.

“The taxi driver saw Hyun and stopped the car. But it appears that Dae-sung could not spot the man because he failed to slow down. Dae-sung told us that after seemingly hitting a bump and bouncing, he stepped on the brake but could not stop the car,” a police officer said.

The officer said Dae-sung’ account of the accident is consistent with what was recorded by a video recorder installed in the taxi, adding that both Dae-sung and the taxi driver passed a breathalyzer test taken right after the incident.

“We cannot determine exactly when the motorcyclist died. We are now trying to find out whether he was killed after being run over by the singer’s car. Or, he could have already been dead before the accident. This will determine what charges will be filed against Dae-sung,” the officer said.

Police sent Dae-sung home around 6:40 a.m. after questioning. Investigators are now analyzing surveillance cameras installed on the bridge. KoRoad, a state-run traffic science research institute, has been asked to look into the accident and investigate exactly what happened.

Police plan to have an autopsy performed on the dead motorcyclist to identify the exact cause of death.

빅뱅 대성 교통사고 연루… 1명 사망

31일 승용차를 몰다 길에 쓰러져 있던 오토바이 운전자와 그 앞에 선 택시를 친 혐의(도로교통법 위반)로 댄스그룹 '빅뱅'의 멤버 대성(본명 강대성·22)씨가 불구속 입건됐다.

경찰에 따르면 강씨는 이날 새벽 1시30분께 자신의 아우디 승용차를 몰고 양화대교 북단에서 남단 방향 편도 4차로 중 1차로를 지나다 도로에 쓰러져 있는 현모(30)씨를 친 데 이어 그 앞에 차를 세우고 주변을 살피던 택시기사 김모(64)씨의 택시를 들이받은 혐의를 받고 있다.

경찰 조사결과 강씨는 규정속도 시속 60㎞인 양화대교를 시속 80㎞로 달리다가 쓰러진 현씨를 발견하지 못한 것으로 밝혀졌다.

경찰 관계자는 "택시는 좌회전하려고 서행하다가 현씨를 발견하고 2차로로 우회해 현씨를 지나친 40ｍ 지점에 차를 세웠으나 대성씨는 속도를 줄이지 않아 현씨를 보지 못한 것으로 보인다"고 밝혔다. (연합뉴스)