A Drunk 50-Year-Old Who Violated Traffic Signals and Hit a High School Student Causing Death Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Shinwon Yoon] A man in his 50s who fatally struck a high school student crossing a crosswalk with his car was sentenced to three years in prison.

On the 20th, Judge Jeonghoon Lee of the Daejeon District Court Criminal Division 9 sentenced A (54), who was charged with causing death by dangerous driving under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes and violating the Road Traffic Act (drunk driving), to three years in prison.

Judge Lee stated, "The defendant, while intoxicated, violated a stop signal and proceeded with the vehicle. Since the victim was crossing the crosswalk after seeing the green light and was struck, the illegality is very serious."

He added, "However, the defendant’s settlement with the victim’s family and the absence of similar past criminal records were considered in sentencing."

A was subject to the amended Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, which strengthens penalties for drunk drivers (enforced December 18, 2018), and the Road Traffic Act (enforced June 25, 2019).

On October 28 of last year, at around 11:44 p.m., A was driving his vehicle in the first lane of a two-lane one-way road in Yeonseo-myeon, Sejong City, when he struck and killed a teenage female student on a crosswalk.

According to police investigation, A’s blood alcohol concentration at the time of the accident was 0.175%. It was also reported that he ignored the stop signal while driving.

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