Estimated Blood Alcohol Concentration Not Applied as Charge
Driver Admits Drunk Driving... "I Am Sorry"
The driver involved in the hit-and-run accident known as the "Maserati Hit-and-Run," which resulted in two casualties, has been cleared of drunk driving charges. This is because the application of the Widmark formula, which estimates blood alcohol concentration, showed that the level was below the legal limit for drunk driving enforcement.
On the 4th, the Gwangju Western Police Station announced that the driver of the Maserati, Kim Mo (32), was not charged with drunk driving after applying the Widmark formula, which retrospectively calculates blood alcohol concentration over time, resulting in a measurement below the enforcement standard of 0.03%.
Kim was driving the Maserati under the influence at around 3:11 a.m. on the 24th of last month when he collided with a motorcycle on a road in Hwajeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju. He fled the scene without providing aid, causing serious injury to the motorcycle driver and the death of a female passenger in her 20s.
Immediately after the accident, Kim fled alone in the Maserati, which was registered under a corporation and handed over to him by an acquaintance senior. He went on the run across Daejeon, Incheon, and Seoul before being urgently arrested and detained by police in Seoul. During his escape, he attempted to flee abroad by boarding a flight to Thailand but canceled two tickets, likely due to concerns about being banned from leaving the country.
On the morning of the 4th, Kim Mo (33), the Maserati driver involved in the 'hit-and-run fatal accident,' is being sent to the prosecution at the Seobu Police Station in Seo-gu, Gwangju. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Earlier, Kim admitted to drunk driving during police questioning. He reportedly stated, "I drank alcohol and ran away because I was scared of the police sirens." The police confirmed through a speed analysis requested from the Road Traffic Authority that Kim was speeding at a minimum of 81 km/h in a zone with a speed limit of 60 km/h at the accident site. It was determined that Kim had been drinking with acquaintances at a first gathering and was on his way to a second gathering at a nightlife establishment in Sinan-dong, Buk-gu, when the accident occurred.
On the 4th, the police sent Kim to the prosecution on charges of hit-and-run causing death or injury under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. Just before being escorted, when asked by reporters why he fled after the accident, Kim said, "I'm sorry, I will apologize." When asked if he had anything to say to the bereaved families, he replied, "I will say it later," trailing off.
Meanwhile, the police are expanding their investigation to include Kim and those who assisted his escape. Oh Mo (34), who helped Kim flee, was also arrested and detained, while two other accomplices who provided transportation were booked without detention. Based on the investigation, they were charged with hit-and-run causing death and aiding a criminal under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.
The police believe that since these individuals are not on any management lists, they are not part of organized crime groups. However, separate from the "hit-and-run fatal accident" case, the police are investigating potential involvement in crimes such as voice phishing and money laundering, keeping the possibility of criminal activity in mind.
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