Drunk Hit-and-Run in Front of Police Station... Caught by Off-Duty Officer

Blood Alcohol Level Exceeded License Revocation Threshold

It was belatedly revealed that a drunk driver who made an illegal U-turn and crashed into a taxi in front of a police station attempted to flee the scene, but was caught by a police officer who was off duty and heading home.

According to the Gangwon Provincial Police Agency, at around 10:57 p.m. on May 14, a sedan driven by a man in his 30s, identified as A, made an illegal U-turn on the road in front of Chuncheon Police Station and collided with the front bumper of a taxi that was driving straight.

Drunk driving vehicle caught by a police officer on duty. Gangwon Provincial Police Agency · Yonhap News

After the accident, A fled the scene without taking any measures. The taxi driver got out of the vehicle and urgently shouted, "Please catch that car," asking for help from people nearby. At that moment, Inspector Jeong Myeongjae, a member of the traffic management division at Chuncheon Police Station who had just finished his shift and was on his way home, became aware of the situation and immediately began to pursue the hit-and-run vehicle. The taxi driver who was involved in the accident and a citizen also joined in chasing the fleeing car.

A managed to drive about 400 meters, but was blocked at the entrance barrier of an apartment complex in Onui-dong, Chuncheon. The police officer, citizen, and taxi driver who were pursuing the hit-and-run vehicle surrounded A's car and apprehended him at the scene.

A's blood alcohol concentration was over 0.2 percent, which is above the license revocation level. The police referred A to the prosecution last month on charges of failing to take necessary measures after the accident and drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act.