Man Driving at 178 km/h While Drunk Kills Motorcyclist…38-Year-Old Mr. A Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison

The Daejeon District Court Hongseong Branch sentenced A (38) to 12 years in prison on the 10th for killing a motorcyclist while driving drunk at 178 km/h.

A was driving a passenger car on a road in Hongseong-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, around 9:20 PM on January 1 when she rear-ended a motorcycle traveling ahead and fled the scene. A's two daughters, aged 6 and 4, were in the car, and her blood alcohol concentration was recorded at 0.211%, a level sufficient for license revocation.

Investigations revealed that immediately after the accident, A checked on the victim's condition but failed to report the incident or take rescue measures, instead shifting the blame to others while using profanity. She left the scene without saying a word as police and ambulance vehicles arrived, leading to a police pursuit triggered by a tip from a witness.

During the trial, A claimed she was too intoxicated to realize the victim had died and had no intention of fleeing. The court rejected this claim, judging that she was fully aware of the traffic accident based on her overall behavior, including conversing with witnesses immediately after the crash.

The court criticized A for failing to take measures to rescue the victim despite the possibility of doing so and shifting the responsibility to others. In explaining the sentencing, the court cited the fact that she drove recklessly while intoxicated despite needing to protect her children, causing significant harm to their mental health and development.