Driver sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison over fatal truck crash at Bucheon market

The photo shows a truck having crashed into a store at the Jeil Market in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, Nov. 13. Newsis

The driver of a truck that crashed into a crowd of people at a traditional market last year was sentenced to a prison term Monday.

The 67-year-old driver was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison on charges of killing four people in the crash that occurred Nov. 13 in Bucheon, just west of Seoul. The accident had left 18 other people injured.

An investigation has revealed that the man had mistakenly shifted the gear to "drive" and stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake while trying to stop the truck that was already in motion as he earlier exited the vehicle with its gear left in "reverse."

"Multiple lives have been lost due to the accident," the Bucheon branch of the Incheon District Court said in its ruling.

"However, the defendant admits his wrongdoing and has reached a settlement with the bereaved families of three out of the four deceased victims, who subsequently do not wish for his punishment," it added.

The driver was said to be suffering from a cerebrovascular disorder, but a medical evaluation has found the condition had no direct relation to the accident.