Assaulted by Punching and Phone Striking While Driving on Highway
Taxi Driver Directly Pleads "Save Me" to Police
"Cause of Nighttime Taxi Decline... Demanding Severe Punishment for Drunken Assaults"
On the 3rd, an incident occurred where a drunk passenger violently assaulted a taxi driver inside a moving taxi. The photo shows a taxi waiting to pick up passengers at a temporary taxi stand near Gangnam Station on the night of May 12, and is unrelated to any specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] An incident occurred where a drunken passenger violently assaulted a taxi driver inside a moving taxi.
According to Yonhap News on the 8th, Mr. A, a taxi driver in his 40s living in Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do, has been on sick leave and unable to go to work after being assaulted by an intoxicated passenger.
The incident happened around 7:30 p.m. on the 3rd, while the taxi was driving a passenger to Ansan-si on the Yeongdong Expressway's first lane at speeds between 70 and 100 km/h during rainy weather.
The passenger, who appeared to be intoxicated, was rambling incoherently, asking questions like "Have you ever smoked marijuana?" and "Why are you driving so fast?" Then, after briefly turning the interior light on and off, the passenger began to indiscriminately hit Mr. A with a cellphone and fists for about 3 to 4 minutes.
The assault by the intoxicated passenger was fully captured on the vehicle's black box footage. According to Yonhap News, the video shows the passenger in the back seat verbally abusing Mr. A and striking him more than 70 times with a cellphone and fists. The blows were concentrated on the head and neck. It was a dangerous situation where Mr. A’s driving was disrupted, potentially leading to a serious accident.
Mr. A tried to fend off the assault and called the police himself to report the incident. He urgently reported, "The passenger is trying to kill me," and "Please save me," then parked the vehicle on the expressway shoulder.
Following a hospital examination, Mr. A was diagnosed with bruises and abrasions on his head, face, neck, and arms, with a recovery period of two weeks. Mr. A told Yonhap News, "It was already dangerous because of the rainy road, but being struck repeatedly with a cellphone from the back seat made me feel the terror of death." He added, "Several days have passed since I reported to the police, but I have received no contact, so I decided to report this to the media."
Meanwhile, the intoxicated passenger reportedly sent an apology text message to Mr. A, offered compensation, and made two phone calls pleading for leniency. On the day of the incident, the passenger said, "Something bad happened," and expressed willingness to accept the consequences.
However, this did not change Mr. A’s mind. He told Yonhap News, "Medical expenses keep increasing, and the loss from not being able to work is significant." He added, "I hope to be compensated for medical expenses and work losses, and that the passenger is punished according to the law." He also emphasized, "People say it’s hard to catch a taxi at night these days because of passengers like this. Strict and swift punishment for assaults on taxi drivers is necessary."
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