Drunk Driver Sentenced to 1 Year and 6 Months in Prison After Causing Traffic Accident While Fleeing Patrol Car

A man identified as Mr. A (44), who fled from a patrol car dispatched after a drunk driving report and hit a pedestrian, was sentenced to prison.

According to the legal community on the 17th, Judge Lee Soon-hyung of the Criminal Division 5 at the Seoul Western District Court sentenced Mr. A to 1 year and 6 months in prison on charges including hit-and-run injury, dangerous driving injury, and violations of the Road Traffic Act.

Mr. A is accused of driving on a road in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, on April 6th at around 12:45 a.m. with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.16%. The police responded to a report suspecting drunk driving, but Mr. A, while fleeing, hit a passing woman’s left leg, causing bruising. It is also known that Mr. A had previously been sentenced to prison twice for drunk driving in 2018 and 2022.

The court explained the sentencing by stating, "Despite having multiple prior convictions for similar crimes such as drunk driving and driving without a license, the defendant caused personal injury while intoxicated during the recidivism period. Although the victim’s injuries are serious, the fact that the offending vehicle was covered by comprehensive insurance means there appears to be no particular obstacle to the victim’s damage recovery. Additionally, the defendant admitted to the crime from the investigation stage and has belatedly shown remorse for his wrongdoing," taking these factors into consideration.