JTBC 'Sageonbanjang' Tip...Suspected Drunk Driving by Offending Vehicle
"Claimed to Have Faced Military Trial for Past Drunk Driving"
"Victim's Family Devastated...Please Help"
A photo of police conducting a drunk driving crackdown, unrelated to the article content. [Asia Economy archive photo]
During the recent Chuseok holiday, a family tragedy occurred in a tunnel in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, when a vehicle driving in the wrong direction collided with them. Suspicions have arisen that Marine Corps non-commissioned officer A, who was driving the wrong-way vehicle, had been drinking on the day of the accident. According to JTBC's 'Case Manager' on the 23rd, informant B claimed, “The offending driver A posted on social media enjoying samgyeopsal and soju with acquaintances.”
Informant B added, “A showed a soju glass on his Instagram story (a post that disappears after 24 hours) that day,” and “A has a history of military trials due to drunk driving and assaulting police officers.”
Another informant, C, said they encountered A’s vehicle on the road just before the accident. C said, “My father was startled to see a vehicle driving the wrong way and honked, but the other car responded by flashing its high and low beams,” and “From that car’s perspective, maybe they thought we were the ones driving the wrong way, but even though they saw oncoming traffic, they passed by very quickly.”
The incident occurred at 1:27 a.m. on the 16th in Yeongwol 2 Tunnel, Yeongwol-eup, Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon Province. The Seltos vehicle driven by A was going the wrong way and collided head-on with a Carnival van coming around a curve. The Carnival was carrying a family including a driver in their 30s, his wife, two young children aged 5 and 3, and the parents-in-law during the Chuseok holiday. The driver and the offending driver A both died in the accident. A was a Marine Corps reconnaissance non-commissioned officer stationed in Pohang, Gyeongbuk, and was reportedly on leave at the time of the accident.
At around 1:27 a.m. on the 16th, a Kia Seltos SUV and a Kia Carnival van collided head-on in the Yeongwol 2 Tunnel on National Road No. 38 in Yeongwol County. [Photo by Gangwon Provincial Fire Agency]
Earlier, on the 20th, a video titled “Please help my friend’s wife” was posted on the YouTube channel ‘Han Moon-cheol TV.’ A friend of the victim driver said, “My friend’s wife’s parents also suffered serious injuries and underwent emergency surgery, and they may have disabilities. She herself is bruised from head to toe but is holding a funeral for her husband,” adding, “They are still young, but they have lost their husband and may lose their parents as well.” The friend also said, “There were three passengers in the wrong-way Seltos vehicle, and since the driver died, the alcohol test will take about three weeks,” and revealed that there is no black box footage showing the exact circumstances of the wrong-way driving.
When asked about ways for the victim to receive compensation, lawyer Han Moon-cheol said, “The accident site appears to be a curved road. If a vehicle comes out on a curve, it’s impossible to avoid,” and “Since the offender died, there is no criminal prosecution or settlement money. The only option left is civil litigation.” The lawyer added, “Since the family was traveling together, there is no industrial accident insurance. The only way is to receive compensation from the offender’s insurance company,” estimating, “The compensation amount, including consolation money, is about 650 million won, and if it is proven that the offender was drunk, the court may add 150 to 200 million won in consolation money, potentially increasing the amount by up to 100 million won.” He emphasized, “Even if it is not drunk driving, file a lawsuit. Since the fault is 100 to 0, the litigation costs can also be recovered from the other party.”
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