Taxi Driver and Motorist Acquitted in Fatal Incident Involving University Student

In a tragic incident involving a university student who mistakenly believed she was being kidnapped, both the taxi driver and the motorist following them have been acquitted of charges. On February 18, 2025, the Supreme Court upheld the lower court's ruling, confirming the innocence of the taxi driver, referred to as A, and the motorist, B, who were accused of violating the Special Act on Traffic Accidents.

The incident occurred on March 4, 2022, when A picked up the student, identified as C, at KTX Pohang Station around 8:50 PM. A misinterpreted C's request to go to her university dormitory and drove in the wrong direction. After entering a highway, A was found to have been speeding at approximately 109 km/h, with multiple alarms sounding inside the taxi. C attempted to confirm her destination and requested to be let out, but A, who had hearing difficulties, did not respond.

Believing she was being abducted, C opened the rear door of the moving taxi and jumped out, tragically colliding with B's vehicle, which was following behind. Both A and B faced legal action under the Special Act on Traffic Accidents.

The first trial acquitted both drivers, stating that A was driving on a typical route to the dormitory and that it was unforeseeable for C to jump from a moving taxi. The court also noted that B could not have anticipated a person falling from the vehicle, especially at night without streetlights. The second trial upheld this decision, emphasizing that A was not in a situation of assault or threat towards C, and it is generally uncommon for passengers to jump from moving vehicles instead of contacting authorities.

The Supreme Court concluded that there was no misunderstanding of the legal principles regarding the duty of care and causation in traffic accident cases, thus affirming the acquittal.