By Park Si-soo
A member of popular boy band Big Bang is responsible for the death of a motorcycle rider last month, police said Friday, unveiling the results of weeks-long investigation into a car accident involving the entertainer.
The conclusion is expected to force Kim Dae-sung, better know as Dae-sung in the entertainment industry here, to stand trial on charges of accidental homicide.
The motorcyclist died after being crushed by the 22-year-old singer’s car in an accident on Yanghwa Bridge in Seoul on May 31, the police said.
The deadly accident has dealt a devastating blow to the five-member band that has a strong fan base at home and aboard, particularly in Asian countries such as Japan, Thailand and the Philippines.
“Dae-sung was driving his car carelessly at the time of the accident. His car ran over the motorcyclist lying on the road at a speed of 80 kilometers per hour and this was the primary cause of the victim’s death,” said Kim Chi-kwan, a senior police officer at Yeongdeungpo Police Station, citing forensic and other investigative reports. “The victim was alive before being hit.”
The officer said the motorcyclist, surnamed Hyun, was lying on the road after ramming into a lamppost on the bridge.
“Despite the fact that he was wearing a protective helmet, the motorcyclist had sustained severe injuries to the head due to the collision. But we believe he was alive then,” he said.
The officer said police will hand the case over to the prosecution for further investigation.
Dae-sung has claimed he did not spot the man, an allegation supported by witnesses. His management agency, YG Entertainment, has raised the possibility that the man probably died as a result of the collision, citing images of his bloody head taken at the scene.