Kiwoom Coach Lee Yonggyu Booked for Drunk Driving Accident... Crashed Into Car and Patrol Vehicle

Appointed as Kiwoom First-Team Hitting Coach Last Month

License Revocation Level Confirmed, Fallout Expected

Driver in His 60s and Police Officer Sustain Minor Injuries

Police: "Investigating the Exact Circumstances"

Kiwoom Heroes' playing hitting coach Lee Yong-gyu has been booked by police after causing a car accident while driving under the influence.

According to police on June 12, Coach Lee crashed his car into another vehicle making a U-turn from the opposite lane while he was driving his sedan under the influence of alcohol at around 6:25 a.m. on a six-lane road in Acheondong, Guri, Gyeonggi Province. Police believe that Coach Lee ran a red light while driving straight ahead and collided with the vehicle that was making a legal U-turn in accordance with the traffic signal.

Coach Lee Yonggyu signed a playing coach contract with Kiwoom last year. Kiwoom Heroes homepage

Due to the impact of the collision, Coach Lee's car spun out to the side and then came to a stop after crashing into the rear of a police patrol car that was parked by the roadside. As a result of the accident, a man in his 60s who was driving the U-turning vehicle and a police officer in the patrol car sustained minor injuries and received hospital treatment. Coach Lee's blood alcohol concentration, measured immediately after the accident, was reportedly at a level high enough for license revocation. Police have booked Coach Lee on charges including drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act and are investigating the exact circumstances of the accident.

There is also growing attention on whether disciplinary action will be taken by the Kiwoom club and the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). In 2022, the KBO strengthened its regulations on drunk driving, stipulating a 70-game suspension for a license suspension, a one-year disqualification for license revocation, a five-year ban for a second offense, and a lifetime ban for three or more offenses.

Coach Lee signed a playing coach contract with Kiwoom last year and was appointed as the first-team playing hitting coach on May 21, replacing former first-team hitting coach Kim Tae-wan. Due to a wrist injury, he has not played in any games as a player this season. This incident is expected to have significant repercussions, as it involves a veteran coach who holds both player and coaching status causing a traffic accident with injuries while driving under the influence at a license-revocation level. Depending on the results of the police investigation and disciplinary procedures by the club and the KBO, Coach Lee's future position is likely to be affected.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.