Passenger Found Guilty of Aiding and Abetting Drunk Driving
Sentenced to Eight Months in Prison
A man in his twenties who drove without a license and under the influence of alcohol, crossed the centerline, and caused the deaths of two people has been sentenced to a substantial prison term.
On the 29th, Judge Lee Changkyung of the Incheon District Court's Criminal Division 1 sentenced Mr. A (24), who was arrested and indicted on charges including causing death by dangerous driving under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, to eight years in prison and a fine of 300,000 won. Mr. B (24), a passenger who drank with Mr. A and allowed him to drive, was also found guilty of aiding and abetting drunk driving, sentenced to eight months in prison, and was taken into custody in court.
The court pointed out that Mr. A shared 16 bottles of soju with five companions and, while in a state of extreme intoxication that made normal judgment impossible, caused the accident while moving to drink more alcohol.
In particular, Mr. A had already been caught drunk driving and had his license suspended, yet drove with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.136%, and caused the accident by driving against traffic at 135.7 km/h in a 50 km/h speed limit zone.
As a result of the accident, a male passenger in his twenties and Ms. C, a woman in her sixties who was driving the oncoming SUV, lost their lives. Judge Lee explained, "The victim, who was driving the vehicle, had lost her husband about two years ago and was raising her children alone. She was on her way to pick up her son, who was on leave from military service, when she tragically lost her life without even being able to see her beloved son."
The judge further stated, "Due to the driver-specific insurance clause, compensation through insurance is not possible, and aside from the two injured victims with whom the defendant reached a settlement, there is little evidence of efforts to compensate the other victims. The bereaved families are demanding a severe punishment," explaining the reasoning behind the sentencing.
Regarding Mr. B, the judge said, "He participated in the crime just two months after being paroled and was already on trial for another case," considering these as aggravating factors. At the sentencing hearing, prosecutors had sought ten years in prison for Mr. A and one year for Mr. B.
Previously, Mr. A was arrested and indicted on charges of causing the deaths of his passenger in his twenties and Ms. C, the SUV driver in her sixties, after crashing into an oncoming SUV while driving a Mercedes-Benz under the influence at around 4:26 a.m. on May 8 on a road in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon.
Three other passengers in their twenties, two men and one woman, were also injured in the accident and received hospital treatment. Among them, Mr. B was prosecuted for aiding and abetting drunk driving, including handing Mr. A the car keys.
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