Driver Driving in Wrong Direction Takes Life of Man in His 30s
Blood Alcohol Level at License Revocation Threshold
During the Chuseok holiday, a 20-year-old driver who hit a family van while driving in the wrong direction in a tunnel in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, killing a man in his 30s, was found to have been driving in a severely intoxicated state at a level warranting license cancellation. He was behind the wheel in this condition.
According to Yonhap News on the 24th, the blood test results from the National Forensic Service for driver A (23), who was driving a Seltos passenger car, showed a blood alcohol concentration at the license cancellation level (0.08% or higher).
At around 1:27 a.m. on the 16th, a van collided head-on with an SUV driving in the wrong direction in the Yeongwol 2 Tunnel on National Road No. 38 in Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon Province, resulting in 2 deaths and 5 injuries. The photo shows the vehicles damaged in the collision. [Image source=Gangwon Provincial Fire Department·Yonhap News]
A was driving in the wrong direction on National Road No. 38, Yeongwol 2 Tunnel, Yeongwol-gun, at around 1:27 a.m. on the 16th, when he collided with a Carnival van coming from the opposite direction (driver B, 34). As a result of this accident, both A and B died, and five others in the Carnival, including B’s wife, children, father-in-law, and mother-in-law, sustained serious to moderate injuries.
Investigations revealed that A drove about 4 km in the wrong direction from Dongyeongwol Intersection to the accident site. To prevent wrong-way entry at Dongyeongwol Intersection, the police and road authorities installed a 'No Right Turn' sign last year, the same size as highway signs, but A still entered incorrectly. A’s vehicle sped along a two-lane one-way road and eventually entered a two-lane two-way tunnel, where the accident occurred.
A was a Marine Corps non-commissioned officer and is known to have gathered with friends before the accident. According to JTBC’s 'Case Officer' on the 23rd, A posted a video on social media on the day of the accident showing him enjoying samgyeopsal and soju with acquaintances. The video includes a figure presumed to be A holding a soju glass.
Currently, B’s wife and other victims are receiving inpatient treatment at the hospital, and the police plan to hand over the case to the military police after completing their final investigation of the victims.
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