[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] An accident occurred in which a man lying drunk on the street was hit by a car and died. The police who responded had spoken with the victim before the accident but left him unattended and stayed nearby the scene.
According to the Dongdaemun Police Station in Seoul on the 1st, a man in his 50s, Mr. A, was hit and killed by a passing van around 8:45 p.m. on the 19th of last month in an alley in Huigyeong-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. At the time, Mr. A was heavily intoxicated.
Two police officers responded to a report around 8 p.m. on the same day that "a person was lying on the street." However, after talking with Mr. A for about six minutes, they left him unattended and returned to their patrol car parked across the street. It is known that Mr. A refused help, telling the police, "Do not touch my body." The accident occurred seven minutes after the police returned to the patrol car.
The police have booked the van driver, Mr. B, in his 60s, on charges of professional negligence causing death under the Special Act on Traffic Accident Handling. Mr. B reportedly stated that he did not realize Mr. A was lying on the road.
Meanwhile, the police are investigating the two officers who responded to the scene for inadequate action. They plan to review whether to file charges after verifying the facts through the internal investigation.
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