[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] The prison sentence for a man in his 30s who fatally struck a university student with his car while driving under the influence late at night has been finalized.
According to the legal community on the 10th, defendant A (39) was sentenced to 11 years in prison for hit-and-run causing death and reckless driving causing death under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, as well as violations of the Road Traffic Act, but he did not file an appeal.
The prosecution, which had sought a life sentence for A, also did not appeal, bringing the trial to a close.
On October 7 last year, around 1:30 a.m., A was driving under the influence, running a red light, and speeding at an intersection within a children's protection zone in Seo-gu, Daejeon, when he hit two pedestrians.
At the time, A’s vehicle traveled about 4 km away from the accident site before crashing onto the sidewalk, hitting a flower bed, and finally coming to a stop.
One person died in the accident, and another pedestrian was seriously injured. The deceased was a woman in her 20s, a university student who was returning home after finishing her part-time job at a chicken restaurant.
A removed the vehicle’s black box and fled the scene but was later caught by the police. His blood alcohol concentration at the time of testing was 0.204%, a level warranting license cancellation.
The prosecution sought the maximum sentence of life imprisonment under the "Yoon Chang-ho Act," considering that the defendant caused the accident by speeding late at night, the accident occurred at a crosswalk, and he fled the scene afterward.
Subsequently, A was sentenced to 11 years in prison in the first trial held in December last year. The court stated, "The defendant’s guilt is grave as he caused the death of a victim crossing a crosswalk within a children’s protection zone while driving under the influence," and added, "He fled without providing aid, causing immense suffering to the bereaved family beyond what can be expressed in the verdict."
A filed an appeal, but the prosecution dismissed it in the second trial, resulting in the same 11-year sentence as the original. Throughout both trials, he submitted a total of 88 letters of remorse, pleading for leniency from the court.
The Yoon Chang-ho Act refers to amendments to the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, which increases penalties for drivers causing casualties while driving under the influence, and the Road Traffic Act, which strengthens DUI standards. It was established following the death of Yoon Chang-ho in a drunk driving accident in Haeundae-gu, Busan, in September 2018.
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