Victim and Perpetrator Deceased... Case Expected to Close as "No Prosecution"
"Strengthen Punishment to Honor My Brother's Death"
National Petition Currently Supported by Over 6,000 People
On the 16th of last month, 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. [Source=Yonhap News]
Recently, the bereaved family of a victim who died due to a Marine Corps non-commissioned officer's drunk driving has demanded stricter punishment through a national petition.
On the 30th, a post titled "Petition to Strengthen Punishment for Drunk Driving Related to the Yeongwol Wrong-Way Traffic Accident" was uploaded on the National Assembly's electronic petition website. The author, Mr. A, whose younger brother in his 30s was the victim of the accident, said, "My brother lived a wonderful life as a citizen of the Republic of Korea, as a man, and as the head of a family," adding, "He fulfilled his national defense duties at an early age, started his social life early, and built a beautiful family. Two days before the accident, he moved to Seoul, which he had long dreamed of, and envisioned a happy future with his wife and two children."
The post concerned an accident that occurred around 1:27 a.m. on the 16th of last month at Yeongwol 2 Tunnel on National Road No. 38 in Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon Province, where Marine Corps reconnaissance non-commissioned officer Mr. B was driving an SUV in the wrong direction and collided with Mr. A's brother's van. Both Mr. A's brother and Mr. B died in the accident, and five others, including Mr. A's brother's wife, children, father-in-law, and mother-in-law, who were in the van, sustained serious to moderate injuries. According to the police investigation, Mr. B's blood alcohol concentration at the time was confirmed to be at the license cancellation level (0.08% or higher). The case is expected to be closed without prosecution as the perpetrator Mr. B has died.
Mr. A continued, "A family built through a man's painstaking efforts was easily destroyed by a common drunk driving incident in Korea," expressing his anger, "The Marine Corps non-commissioned officer perpetrator had a history of military trials for drunk driving and other offenses. Why was he allowed to drive again? Why was the punishment so lenient?" He also shared, "I suffer from nightmares and insomnia every night due to the shock of losing my younger brother. My father, who should not drink, has started drinking again to ease his pain. My sister-in-law held my brother's funeral with bruises all over her face and feet. My father-in-law is in a wheelchair, and my mother-in-law is lying in the intensive care unit. The children cry every day asking when their father will come home."
Finally, Mr. A appealed, "My brother is no longer here. Since the perpetrator is also gone, there is no one to punish," adding, "The only thing I can do is petition the public so that such incidents never happen again. Please strengthen the drunk driving punishment laws in the Republic of Korea so that my brother's unjust death will not be in vain." The petition currently has 6,745 supporters.
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