Caused Death in Previous Accident, Again... Man in His 70s Gets 4 Years for Fatal DUI Hit-and-Run

Fled the Scene After Hiding His Identity Following DUI Accident
Drove Twice Even After License Revocation

A man in his 70s, who has a past conviction for causing death in a traffic accident, has been sentenced to prison after causing another fatality while driving under the influence and fleeing the scene.

Changwon District Court

According to Yonhap News on July 10, Judge Seok Dongwoo of the Criminal Division 4 at the Changwon District Court sentenced a man in his 70s, identified as A, to four years in prison on charges of fleeing the scene of a fatal accident under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes and driving without a license under the Road Traffic Act.

A was brought to trial on charges of hitting and killing a man in his 70s, identified as B, who was riding a bicycle, while driving a car under the influence of alcohol at around 7:30 p.m. on April 9 last year on a road in Uichang-gu, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province.

Immediately after the accident, A asked a passing resident to call for help. However, according to the investigation, when paramedics arrived, A left the scene without disclosing that he was the driver of the vehicle involved in the accident.

Initially, the police determined that the charge of fleeing the scene did not apply, as A remained at the accident site until paramedics arrived. As a result, the police did not refer the case to prosecutors on the charge of fleeing the scene of a fatal accident, instead forwarding it for prosecution solely under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents causing death.

However, through supplementary investigation, prosecutors found that A had intentionally acted as if he were not the driver in order to conceal the fact that he had been driving under the influence, and then left the scene. Based on this, A was indicted on charges of fleeing the scene of a fatal accident and driving without a license.

A was also charged with driving on two occasions, in June and September last year, even after his driver's license had been revoked as a result of the accident.

The court noted, "A has a prior record of being fined in 2019 for violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents causing death. The victim's family is experiencing significant sorrow and suffering, and they have petitioned for a harsh sentence."

However, the court explained its sentencing decision by stating, "A has admitted to most of the facts and is remorseful. After leaving the accident scene, he parked the car at his residence and then returned to the scene and confessed to the police that he was responsible for the accident."

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