"Sudden Acceleration to the Point of Lifting Off the Ground" Controversy Over Electric Taxi Accident

An electric taxi operating in the early morning suddenly sped up and crashed into a traffic light, with the taxi driver claiming that the vehicle experienced a 'sudden unintended acceleration' so severe that the car lifted off the ground.

On the morning of the 18th around 5 a.m., a Kia electric EV6 taxi in Suwon City reportedly crashed into a traffic light and roadside trees in a suspected sudden unintended acceleration incident, YTN reported on the 20th. The police have begun investigating the cause of the accident through the National Forensic Service (NFS).

Mr. Hwang, a taxi driver with 37 years of experience, claimed that an accident occurred when a Kia electric vehicle EV6, which had been released less than a year ago, suddenly accelerated.
[Photo by Twitter]

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The accident video spread online. The footage shows a black EV6 taxi rapidly passing by a nearby vehicle before crashing into a pedestrian traffic light. During this, the vehicle's body was seen briefly lifting off the ground due to the speed. The impact caused a cloud of dust to rise, and the traffic light and vehicle debris were shattered, turning the area into a chaotic scene.

The taxi driver, Mr. Hwang (66), lost consciousness and was transported to a hospital. Fortunately, his life is not in danger, but he sustained serious injuries including broken arms, ribs, and a fractured pelvis, and is currently receiving medical treatment.

In the early morning of the 18th, an EV6 vehicle was seen colliding at high speed with road facilities in Suwon.
[Photo source=Twitter]

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Mr. Hwang, a taxi driver with 37 years of experience, claimed that the accident occurred due to sudden unintended acceleration of the Kia electric EV6, which was less than a year old. He reportedly told the police, "I tried to reduce speed, but the brakes did not work," and "I turned the steering wheel toward the traffic light to avoid causing casualties."

The police believe there is no possibility that Mr. Hwang was driving under the influence and are investigating the exact circumstances of the accident. The vehicle's event data recorder has been sent to the NFS for accident analysis.

Meanwhile, sudden unintended acceleration refers to incidents where a vehicle suddenly produces high power output without the driver's intention while stopped or moving at low speed. According to the Korea Transportation Safety Authority's Vehicle Safety Research Institute, there have been 316 suspected cases of such incidents from 2015 through last year. The annual number ranges from about 10 cases in low years to nearly 50 in high years.

Determining the cause of sudden unintended acceleration incidents is very difficult. Under current law, the burden of proof for sudden unintended acceleration accidents lies primarily with the plaintiff. This means that victims of suspected incidents must prove mechanical defects to hold automobile manufacturers liable for damages. There are ongoing concerns that ordinary people, who lack detailed knowledge of car parts and have limited access to key information related to accidents, find it difficult to establish the cause.

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