Mother Dies on Way to Meet Soldier Son... Prosecutors Seek 10 Years for "Serious Offense" Drunk Driver

Prosecutors have sought a heavy sentence for a man in his 20s who caused a fatal accident while speeding and crossing the centerline without a license after drinking, resulting in the deaths of two people.

On September 24, during the sentencing hearing at the Incheon District Court before Judge Lee Changkyung, prosecutors requested a 10-year prison sentence for Mr. A (24), who was indicted on charges including causing death by dangerous driving under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. For Mr. B (24), who was indicted for aiding and abetting drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act, prosecutors asked the court to sentence him to one year in prison.

Prosecutors explained the sentencing request by stating, "Two people died as a result of Mr. A's actions, and the property damage was significant, making the crime extremely serious. We also considered that Mr. B provided the vehicle, enabling Mr. A to drive."

In his final argument, Mr. A's attorney pleaded for leniency, saying, "The defendant acted recklessly while heavily intoxicated, but he has admitted to the crime and is remorseful. He has vowed never to reoffend and has reached a settlement with some of the victims. Please take these factors into consideration." Mr. A tearfully added, "I want to apologize to the victims and their families for the harm caused by my wrongful actions. I will work to make amends and will not repeat this offense."

Mr. A was indicted and detained on charges of causing the deaths of a passenger in his 20s and Ms. C, a woman in her 60s driving an SUV, after he crashed his Mercedes sedan into the oncoming SUV while drunk on a road in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, on the morning of May 8. Three other passengers in their 20s, both male and female, who were in the sedan, were also injured and received hospital treatment. Among them, Mr. B was tried together for allegedly abetting the drunk driving by handing Mr. A the car keys. It was found that Ms. C, the driver of the victim's vehicle, was on her way to pick up her soldier son on leave from the military when the accident occurred.

Mr. A had previously been caught drunk driving and was in a license suspension period, yet drove the sedan without a license with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.136%. Investigations revealed that he was driving in the wrong direction at 135.7 km/h in a 50 km/h speed limit zone when the accident happened.