Lawyers Claim Lim Seulong May Be Sentenced To Jail After CCTV Showed A Possible Different Story
Lim Seulong of 2AM was involved in a fatal car accident that resulted in the death of a pedestrian who was crossing the street illegally. Initially, the netizens showed support for Lim Seulong as they believed the fault unfortunately lied mostly with the pedestrian.
The victim had crossed the street despite it being a red light. He was seen wearing dark clothes and carrying a dark umbrella during the rainy night just before 12 am.
However, the CCTV of the accident was released by Joonang Ilbo and the netizens’ tone of voice had shifted. They noted that despite the pedestrian’s clothing and illegal crossing, the street lights were bright enough for the cars to see him. They also claimed the car appeared to be speeding and didn’t stop until it hit the victim.
Two lawyers who specialize in traffic accident cases spoke up to reveal that the footage may result in Lim Seulong’s imprisonment. Lawyer Jung Kyung Il claimed that it may be difficult to say that it was hard to see the pedestrian from afar.
The victim didn’t suddenly run out. He was walking. Even if it was 11:50 pm at night, the street lights and the building lights lit up the crosswalk.
— Jung Kyung Il, Lawyer
Another lawyer who also specializes in similar cases, Lee Gil Woo, also agreed that Seulong has fault in the accident. He believes the accident may have been caused by negligence.
There may always be pedestrians illegally crossing the street at crosswalks, and considering how the pedestrian was walking slowly, I don’t believe it was strict liability.
— Lee Gil Woo, Lawyer
Lawyer Jung believes Seulong holds 40% of the fault, while Lawyer Lee believes he holds 60%. They believe that if Seulong isn’t able to come to a settlement with the victim’s side, he may end up facing up to 5 years in prison and 20 million won (~$17,000 USD) in fines.
If he’s able to reach a settlement with the victim’s side, he’ll likely receive probation. But if he can’t reach a settlement, the chance of imprisonment is high.
— Jung Kyung Il
Although the accident resulted in someone’s death, since illegal crossing is involved, the sentencing may end in a fine. But if a settlement cannot be reached, then it will most likely end in imprisonment.
— Lee Gil Woo, Lawyer
Lim Seulong was reported by the police to be in a state of shock after the accident. He had apologized to the victim’s family and has been remaining at home as the investigations continued. The police have yet to file any charges as they’re continuing their investigation about the accident.