"Drunk Passenger Who Assaulted Taxi Driver and Seized Steering Wheel Saying 'You Don't Have to Pay, Just Go Quickly'"

Chuncheon District Court Sentences 1 Year Imprisonment and 2 Years Probation
Drunk Driving After Assault Victim Flees Scene

A man in his 30s who hit a taxi driver after the driver advised him to go home without charging a fare, and then took control of the steering wheel when the driver left to escape the assault, was sentenced to a suspended prison term.

On the 19th, the Chuncheon District Court Criminal Division 2 (Presiding Judge Kim Taek-seong) sentenced Mr. A (30), who was indicted on charges of assault, theft, unlicensed driving, and drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act, to one year in prison with a two-year suspension, according to a report by Yonhap News Agency on the same day. The court also ordered Mr. A to undergo probation and complete 40 hours of a law-abiding driving course.

The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. A taxi is waiting for passengers at the taxi stand at Seoul Station. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Mr. A was brought to trial on charges of verbally abusing and assaulting taxi driver Mr. B (51) in front of an apartment in Inje-gun, Gangwon Province, in the early morning of February 28. He is also accused of taking advantage of the moment when Mr. B fled the scene to escape the assault and driving the taxi for 1.5 km with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.168%.

At the time, Mr. B woke Mr. A, who was heavily intoxicated and sleeping in the passenger seat, but he did not wake up. Then, to wake him again, Mr. B opened the passenger door and said, "You don't have to pay the fare, so please go home and sleep quickly," when suddenly Mr. B was struck by a punch. Mr. B had no choice but to abandon the taxi and leave the scene to escape Mr. A's assault. Investigations revealed that Mr. A had previously had his license revoked due to drunk driving and had been fined in January.

The court stated, "Considering the defendant's past record of similar offenses, a strict punishment is necessary," but added, "Taking into account his admission of guilt and remorse, we have decided to sentence him to a suspended prison term with probation and a course attendance order."

Meanwhile, assaults on taxi drivers and other drivers continue to increase. According to crime statistics from the National Police Agency, cases of driver assault were ▲2,425 in 2018 ▲2,587 in 2019 ▲2,894 in 2020 ▲4,259 in 2021, showing a yearly increase. If a driver of a vehicle in operation is assaulted or threatened, the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes applies, resulting in imprisonment of up to five years or a fine of up to 20 million won. As assaults on taxi drivers increase, local governments nationwide have begun installing 'protective partitions' between the taxi driver's seat and the back seat, but installation rates remain low due to taxi drivers opposing them citing activity restrictions and local governments' budget shortages.