Firefighter who crashed into police car and fled after drunk driving sentenced to 3 years in prison

Charges Including Injury Caused by Obstruction of Special Official Duties

A firefighter who caused a drunk driving accident, then rammed into a police car that arrived at the scene and fled, was sentenced to prison in the first trial.

The Criminal Division 11 of the Seoul Western District Court (Presiding Judge Bae Seong-jung) sentenced firefighter Kim (40), who was detained and indicted on charges of obstruction of official duties causing injury and damage to public property, to three years in prison on the 27th.

Kim was charged with hitting a passenger car while driving under the influence around 12:20 a.m. on January 11 at the Hongdae Entrance Station intersection in Mapo-gu, Seoul. He is also accused of repeatedly ramming two police cars and a taxi that arrived after the report, injuring six police officers during his escape. Kim was affiliated with a fire station in Seoul, but it was confirmed that his position had already been revoked before the accident.

The court explained the sentencing by stating, "The defendant drove while intoxicated on four occasions, committed retaliatory driving during the process, injured six police officers while evading a sobriety test, and fled the scene. Even considering that he reached settlements with eight victims except for some, it is difficult to avoid a prison sentence."

Kim claimed diminished mental capacity due to depression symptoms he had suffered for several years, but the court did not accept this, stating that it did not appear he had reached a state of diminished mental capacity.