The Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency confiscated the vehicle of a driver who was caught multiple times for drunk driving but still drank and drove again.
The Provincial Police Agency announced on the 1st that, according to the "Measures to Eradicate Habitual Drunk Drivers and Other Malicious Violators," they have been strictly responding to drunk drivers and confiscating vehicles since July 1.
According to the Provincial Police Agency, during drunk driving crackdowns in the province in July alone, a total of 792 cases were detected, including 237 license suspensions, 525 license cancellations, and 33 refusals to undergo testing.
Among them, 2 vehicles were confiscated due to habitual drunk driving.
Nine people were arrested on charges of violating the Act on Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes for reckless driving causing death or injury, with one person detained, and one passenger in a drunk driving vehicle was also arrested on charges of aiding and abetting.
Police confiscate vehicles when ▲ there are multiple casualties, hit-and-run after an accident, or repeated drunk driving resulting in a fatal accident ▲ a person with two or more drunk driving offenses in the past five years causes a serious injury accident while driving under the influence.
▲ When a person with three or more drunk driving offenses in the past five years is caught driving under the influence again ▲ and when considering the extent of damage and the suspect’s risk of reoffending, if confiscation is deemed particularly necessary, the vehicle is also confiscated.
At around 3:30 a.m. on July 2, police caught a man in his 30s, Mr. A, driving about 10 km in a state of severe intoxication with a blood alcohol concentration of over 0.2% in Naeoe-dong, Gimhae City.
Mr. A was found to have six prior drunk driving offenses, including serving 1 year and 2 months in prison for drunk driving and being released in June 2021, and was sent to detention.
At 9:35 p.m. on the 9th, Mr. B, a man in his 50s, was caught driving in Oedong, Gimhae City, with a blood alcohol concentration over 0.2%, slurring his speech and unable to control his body, hitting a woman in her 60s.
At 11:50 p.m. on the 16th, Mr. C, a man in his 50s and an unlicensed driver, was caught driving under the influence with a blood alcohol concentration over 0.2% in Okpo-dong, Geoje City, and his 1-ton truck was confiscated.
Mr. C has four prior drunk driving offenses and is currently on trial as a habitual drunk driver.
At 12:30 a.m. on the 17th, Mr. D, a man in his 20s, was detained for driving under the influence at an intersection in Sangbuk-myeon, Yangsan City, hitting and killing a pedestrian, and his sports utility vehicle (SUV) was confiscated.
Mr. D was arrested on charges of hiding the accident, failing to provide appropriate aid, and fleeing the scene, resulting in the pedestrian’s death, fearing that his drunk driving would be discovered.
A representative of the Provincial Police Agency said, “As fatal drunk driving accidents have recently increased, we are strengthening punishments such as vehicle confiscation and taking strong measures to eradicate drunk driving. All drivers must be aware of the dangers of drunk driving and must never drive after drinking even a single drop of alcohol.”
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