14 people killed or injured in 8-car collision on highway... Driver: ”The car couldn't stop” (South Korea)

Two men and women in their 20s who were taken to the hospital in cardiac arrest after an eight-vehicle collision occurred near the Cheongju rest area on the Gyeongbu Expressway have reportedly died.
The driver claims that the car was defective. According to police and fire authorities on the 14th, the accident occurred at around 6:36 pm yesterday on the outbound lane of the Gyeongbu Expressway in Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju City, Chungbuk.
An SUV driven by Mr. A (59) crashed into a guardrail near a rest area and then collided with several other vehicles, resulting in an accident involving eight vehicles.
Two people in their 20s who were in the Toyota car were taken to the hospital in cardiac arrest after the accident, but
He later died. The driver and 12 others were also injured and are currently undergoing treatment. Mr. A told the police that "the car suddenly stopped responding and I caused the accident when I tried to stop it," and that he was aware of a defect in the car.
Police and firefighters are currently investigating the cause of the serious accident. Meanwhile, Cho Seung-hwan, a member of the National Assembly's Administrative and Safety Committee, said that the National Forensic Science Institute (NSSI) had been investigating the cause of the accident.
According to an analysis of documents submitted by the National Forensic Service, there were a total of 334 accidents caused by sudden acceleration that were examined by the National Forensic Service in the five years from 2020 to June this year.
Of these, 277 cases were confirmed to have been caused by "accelerator misoperation by the driver." In addition, there were 4 cases where the identification of the accident vehicle was impossible or the accident recorder (EDR) was inconclusive.
There were 6 inquiries about existing appraisal results from the courts and 11 inquiries. In particular, there was an increase in cases where elderly drivers claimed to have caused sudden acceleration accidents.
Of the 277 traffic accidents, 202 (72.9%) of the drivers who claimed to have made sudden starts were aged 60 or older, followed by 56 (16.8%) in their 50s, 15 in their 40s, 3 in their 20s, and 1 in their 30s.
The number of accidents by year involving drivers aged 60 or older who claimed to have made sudden starts was 17 in 2020, 26 in 2021, 38 in 2022, 76 in 2023, and 2024.
From January to June of the fourth year, there were 45 cases, and the number is increasing every year.