Unlicensed Drunk Driver in His 50s Arrested After Three Months on the Run

Fled the Scene, Leaving Passenger Behind
Vehicle Confiscated by Police

A driver in his 50s, who was driving without a license and under the influence of alcohol, fled the scene after causing a traffic accident but was apprehended by the police three months later.

The Gwangju Bukbu Police Station announced on May 2 that they had arrested Mr. A (57) on charges including causing injury while fleeing the scene under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.

Gwangju Bukbu Police Station.

Mr. A is accused of driving under the influence and crashing into an oncoming vehicle at an intersection in Yangsan-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, at around 8:37 p.m. on February 3, injuring the other driver, Mr. B. According to the investigation, immediately after the accident, when Mr. B suspected drunk driving, Mr. A left the scene, abandoning both his vehicle and his passenger.

After confirming Mr. A's drunk driving through an investigation of the passenger, the police conducted a three-month pursuit and arrested Mr. A on April 29 at an apartment in Buk-gu, Gwangju.

The police also confirmed that Mr. A's license had been revoked due to multiple previous drunk driving offenses, and, in accordance with the Road Traffic Act revised in 2023, confiscated his vehicle. Under the current law, if a driver has been caught drunk driving four or more times within the past five years, or meets certain other criteria, the authorities are permitted to seize the driver's vehicle.