Hit-and-run cargo truck driver... caught and found to have 'drunk driving license revoked'

"Rushed the appointment time, so just left," statement
About 14,000 annual cases of unlicensed driving recidivism

A driver in his 50s who caused an accident while driving a cargo truck with a canceled license due to drunk driving and fled the scene was caught by the police.

The Gimpo Police Station in Gyeonggi announced on the 7th that they have booked Mr. A, a cargo truck driver in his 50s, without detention on charges of unlicensed driving and failure to take action after an accident under the Road Traffic Act.

(This photo is not directly related to the article.) [Photo source=Pixabay]

Mr. A is accused of colliding with a passenger car driven by a man in his 70s, Mr. B, at an intersection in Yangchon-eup, Gimpo City, around 11:40 a.m. the previous day while driving a 1-ton cargo truck, and fleeing the scene without taking any action.

Mr. A was driving the cargo truck straight through the intersection on a green light, and Mr. B’s vehicle was making an unprotected left turn when the accident occurred. As a result of the accident, Mr. B and his wife, also in her 70s, who was riding in the passenger car, sustained facial injuries and received hospital treatment.

The police, who responded to the report, apprehended Mr. A through vehicle registration checks. During the police investigation, Mr. A stated, "I left after the accident because I was in a hurry for a work appointment." A police official said, "Mr. A’s license had been canceled due to a previous drunk driving offense," and added, "He was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of this accident."

Earlier in June, the police seized a vehicle after a man in his 70s, whose license had been canceled due to past drunk driving, repeatedly drove without a license, caused an accident, and fled the scene. According to the 2022 Police Statistical Yearbook, there were 18,579 cases of unlicensed driving, with 18,255 arrests made. The arrest rate compared to the number of cases was 98.3%, with a total of 19,593 individuals arrested. Additionally, according to the National Statistical Portal (KOSIS), in 2022, there were 14,000 repeat offenders of unlicensed driving, including 5,814 with the same type of offense, and among them, 8,186 were recidivists.