Son on board, Drunk Driving Accident... 30s Suspended Sentence

Son Sustains Injury Requiring 4 Weeks of Recovery Due to Accident

A man in his 30s who was charged with causing a traffic accident while driving under the influence with his 4-year-old son in the car was sentenced to probation.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Woo-seok] A man in his 30s who was charged with causing an accident while driving under the influence with his 4-year-old son in the car was sentenced to probation.

The Chuncheon District Court Criminal Division 3 (Judge Cha Young-wook) announced on the 20th that A (33), who was charged with violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (dangerous driving causing injury) and the Road Traffic Act (drunk driving), was sentenced to 10 months in prison with 2 years of probation.

He was also ordered to perform 80 hours of community service and attend 40 hours of a safe driving lecture.

On the early morning of June 16 last year, A was driving in a state of severe intoxication near the Chuncheon Tollgate on the Jungang Expressway in Dongnae-myeon, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon Province, when he crashed into the tollgate divider.

As a result of the accident, A's son B (4), who was a passenger, sustained injuries requiring four weeks of medical treatment. At the time of the accident, A's blood alcohol concentration was confirmed to be 0.135%.

The court stated, "The defendant drove while intoxicated and unable to drive normally, causing a traffic accident that resulted in injury to his son, the victim, which is a serious offense." However, considering that "the defendant admitted his wrongdoing and showed remorse, and has no prior record of punishment for drunk driving," the court decided on this sentence.