"Driving a Truck Instead of Drunken Husband"…Fatal Accident Due to Inexperienced Driving

Failed to Brake Properly, Hit and Killed Acquaintance
Court: "Considered Agreement with Bereaved Family and First Offense"

A woman in her 50s who caused a fatal accident due to poor driving while driving a cargo truck on behalf of her husband who had been drinking was sentenced to a suspended prison term.

A (54) was prosecuted for hitting and killing B (62, female) while driving a Porter cargo truck on the evening of July 31.

According to the investigation, A had dinner with B and her husband, who are acquaintances, and since B's husband had been drinking, A took the wheel of the cargo truck instead.

Yonhap News

However, A failed to properly apply the brakes while making a U-turn in the unfamiliar cargo vehicle and hit B, who was standing in front of a retaining wall in the direction of travel. B suffered a severe head injury and died.

Accordingly, on the 28th, Judge Park Hyunjin, Chief Judge of Criminal Division 2 at the Wonju Branch of Chuncheon District Court, announced that A, who was charged with causing death by negligence under the Special Act on Traffic Accident Handling, was sentenced to one year in prison with a two-year suspension and ordered to perform 40 hours of community service.

Judge Park stated, “A serious outcome occurred where the victim died at the scene in the presence of her husband.”

However, he explained the sentencing reason by saying, “The sentence was determined considering that the defendant reached a settlement with the victim’s family during the trial stage and that this was the defendant’s first offense.”