Hit 7 Vehicles and Fled... What Did They Say When They Appeared Before Police After Two Days?

Police told, "I lost my cellphone and couldn't be contacted" explanation

A man in his 50s who hit seven parked cars and fled the scene on the 1st voluntarily appeared at the police station two days after the incident.

Earlier, the Daejeon Western Police Station announced that Mr. A (in his 50s) caused an accident around 2 a.m. on the 1st while driving his own Sonata in an outdoor parking lot of an apartment complex in Jeongnim-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon, hitting seven parked vehicles. Since it was early morning, no one was injured in the accident, but Mr. A and his passenger abandoned the car and fled immediately after the accident, cutting off contact.

Damaged vehicle
Photo by Daejeon Police Agency

The police identified Mr. A, the vehicle owner and resident of the apartment, as the driver who caused the accident, but he had disappeared with his phone turned off at the time. They have since focused on identifying the male passenger and tracking their escape route through closed-circuit television (CCTV).

Later, Mr. A voluntarily appeared at the police station with his passenger around 4 p.m. on the 2nd, explaining that he had not been reachable because he lost his phone.

Initially, Mr. A was suspected of drunk driving, but the blood alcohol concentration measured by the police two days after the accident was reported to be 0.00%. The police have booked Mr. A and his passenger on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act (failure to take action after an accident) and are investigating them while also conducting inquiries into possible alcohol consumption and other matters.

According to Article 148 (Penalties) Paragraph 1 of Article 54 of the Road Traffic Act, a person who fails to take necessary measures after a traffic accident (excluding those who only damaged parked or stopped vehicles and did not provide personal information to the victim as specified in Article 54 Paragraph 1 Subparagraph 2) shall be punished by imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to 15 million won.

A police official told Yonhap News Agency, "We are currently continuing the investigation of Mr. A and others, including inquiries into whether they consumed alcohol before driving."