Boyfriend Who Said "I Caused a Drunk Driving Accident" Instead of Girlfriend... Love vs Insurance Money, 'Why Did He Do That?'

Girlfriend Causes Accident, Falsely Claims "I Did It"
Incident Occurs While Practicing Driving After Drinking
Police Officer Threatened with 10cm Glass Shard Fragment

A man in his 20s was arrested by the police after swapping places as the driver when his girlfriend, who was driving under the influence, caused an accident.

On the 31st, Yonhap News reported that Chief Judge Lee Yeon-gyeong of the Cheongju District Court issued an arrest warrant for a man in his 20s, Mr. A, who is charged with drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act, aiding a criminal, attempted insurance fraud, and obstruction of official duties. However, the court dismissed the warrant for Mr. A’s girlfriend, Ms. B, who is charged with drunk driving, property damage, and aiding a criminal, stating, "Considering the circumstances under which she drove, it is necessary to review the matter through a trial without detention regarding the planning and initiative involved."

Earlier, at around 5:45 a.m. on the 29th of last month, the SUV driven by Ms. B crashed into a commercial building in Deoksan-eup, Jincheon-gun. Mr. A told the responding police officers that he was the driver instead of his girlfriend, and the breathalyzer test revealed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher, which is above the license cancellation level, indicating severe intoxication.

Mr. A stated, "I drank six bottles of soju and drove about 20 km with my girlfriend," but after the police reviewed the closed-circuit television (CCTV), it was revealed that the actual driver was Ms. B. They had been drinking together, consuming ten glasses of soju and one glass of beer at a restaurant. After leaving the establishment, they got into the vehicle, and Mr. A drove about 100 meters. Then, he handed over the steering wheel to Ms. B, saying, "I will let you practice driving," and she drove about 700 meters before causing the accident.

The accident vehicle was a rental car registered under Mr. A’s name. Therefore, Mr. A falsely testified that he was the driver to claim insurance money. Additionally, Mr. A threatened the police officers controlling the accident scene with glass shards about 10 cm long.

It was also revealed that Mr. A had a prior record of punishment for insurance fraud and obstruction of official duties. The police stated that they will hand over the case to the prosecution after accurately determining the details.