Drunk Passenger Dies After Exiting on Shoulder, Overturned Verdict... Taxi Driver Found Guilty

Breaking the Centrifuge: Sentenced to 1 Year in Prison and 2 Years Probation

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] A taxi driver accused of causing the death of a passenger by dropping off a drunk customer on the shoulder of a highway late at night was acquitted in the first trial but found guilty on appeal.

On the 13th, the Criminal Division 1 of the Ulsan Branch of the Busan High Court (Chief Judge Park Haebin) announced that in the appeal trial of taxi driver A, who was prosecuted for professional negligence causing death, the original verdict was overturned and a sentence of one year imprisonment with a two-year probation was handed down.

A was charged with dropping off a drunk passenger in his 20s, B, on a highway in Ulsan in April 2019, resulting in B being hit by another vehicle and dying.

A was transporting B to his destination when B requested to be let off on the shoulder of the highway. The intoxicated B lost his sense of direction for about 30 minutes, wandered on the road, and was struck by another vehicle, resulting in death. The road where B got off was structured in a way that made it difficult for a person to exit safely, and there were no streetlights, leaving the area dark.

The prosecution argued that A was responsible for letting B off despite the foreseeable risk of an accident and claimed guilt. However, the first trial court judged A not guilty, stating that B got off the taxi voluntarily and there was no evidence that B was intoxicated at the time.

The second trial court’s judgment differed. It ruled that dropping off a passenger on a highway itself was wrong and that if the passenger was intoxicated, the driver should have assessed the situation.

The second trial court explained the sentencing by stating, "A taxi driver must protect and fulfill the duty of safety for the passenger until they reach their destination," and "Although the passenger was intoxicated and got off abnormally on the highway, the driver left the scene without taking safety measures, thus bearing responsibility."