Man in His 50s Jailed for Blocking Car and Assaulting Driver After Headlights Shone in His Face

A man in his 50s who blocked a car on the road and assaulted its driver because the vehicle's headlights had shone in his face was sentenced to prison.

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According to legal circles on October 31, Judge Lee Yuseop of the criminal division at the Busan District Court's Western Branch sentenced A, who was indicted on charges of assaulting a driver under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes, to six months in prison.

A became angry and committed the crime at around 5:15 p.m. on February 9 on a road in Sasang-gu, Busan, because the lights of a car driven by a man in his 20s had shone in his face.

A blocked the front of the car. When the driver briefly stopped the car with the engine running and asked through the window, "Why are you doing that?", A suddenly slapped him and struck him in the neck with the edge of his hand. Investigators found that A then grabbed the driver by the collar and assaulted him.

A had previously been sentenced to prison for other crimes. After serving a one-year sentence imposed in 2022 for violating the Stalking Punishment Act and other offenses, he was released in February 2023. The present crime was committed during the period in which repeat offenders are subject to enhanced punishment.

The court noted that assaulting a driver poses a greater risk to traffic safety than ordinary assault.

Judge Lee explained the sentencing, saying, "Assaulting a driver is a crime that undermines public traffic safety and order because it carries the risk of causing serious harm, such as a traffic accident. The defendant's culpability is serious because he assaulted a driver simply because he was angry."

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