"Passenger Made Me Drive"... 'Eulwangri Drunk Driving' Driver Breaks Down in Court

Tears After Watching Black Box Footage of the Accident

Drunk driver A (center), who fatally struck a chicken restaurant owner in his 50s delivering near Eulwangri Beach in Incheon, is seen leaving Jungbu Police Station in Jung-gu, Incheon on the afternoon of September 14 to attend a pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant hearing). / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] The driver involved in a drunk driving accident in Eulwangri, Incheon, who hit and killed a man in his 50s delivering chicken, claimed in court that he was driving under the instructions of a passenger.

At the second trial held on the 22nd at the Incheon District Court Criminal Division 3 (Judge Kim Ji-hee), the driver, A (34), asserted, "The passenger told me to drive."

A, who was indicted on charges including reckless driving causing death under the Specific Crimes Aggravated Punishment Act and drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act, answered "Yes" when asked by B's (47) lawyer whether passenger B had instructed him to drive.

When asked, "When did (B) give such instructions?" he initially said, "After taking the elevator down from the hotel room, I heard it while going to B's car," but then changed his statement to "I heard it inside the car."

He added, "I asked to call a designated driver, but B said, 'Let's go to the convenience store front,' so I ended up driving," and "I gestured forward."

The scene of a traffic accident that occurred around 12:55 a.m. on September 9 in the second lane of one side of Eulwang-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon. / Photo by Incheon Yeongjong Fire Station

On the same day, the prosecution revealed the black box footage of the accident in court for the first time. The video captured the vehicle driven by A passing a convenience store, making a right turn, crossing the center line, and colliding with a motorcycle delivering chicken coming from the opposite direction. Watching the footage, A shed tears in court.

Two lawyers representing C (54), who died after colliding with A's vehicle while delivering chicken, responded to questions about the possibility of a settlement by saying, "Listening to B's claims, they do not admit any fault at all," and "There will be no settlement unless a sincere apology is made."

A is accused of driving a Mercedes-Benz SUV under the influence of alcohol around 12:55 a.m. on September 9 near Eulwangri Beach in Jung-gu, Incheon, on a two-lane one-way road, hitting and killing C, who was delivering chicken on a motorcycle.

At the time of the accident, A's blood alcohol concentration was 0.194%, far exceeding the license cancellation level (0.08%).

Meanwhile, passenger B was also indicted on charges of encouraging drunk driving by opening the door of the Mercedes-Benz vehicle, owned by his company, to allow A to get into the driver's seat. The prosecution applied the so-called "Yoon Chang-ho Act," which strengthens punishment for fatal accidents caused by drunk driving, to both individuals.

The victim's family posted a petition on the Blue House National Petition Board, urging strict punishment for the driver and passenger of the offending vehicle. / Photo by National Petition Board capture

The accident became widely known and sparked public outrage after the victim's family posted a petition on the Blue House National Petition Board on the 10th of the same month, demanding strict punishment for A.

In the petition titled "I am the daughter of a man in his 50s who was a victim of drunk driving and wrong-way driving in Eulwangri," the petitioner, identifying herself as C's daughter, appealed, "Internet news reported that the perpetrator sought a lawyer before calling 119 while intoxicated, and the passenger's pants belt was undone," and "My father, the youngest of seven siblings, died, and my family was ruined in an instant."

She continued, "My father left saying it was his last delivery without even having dinner. He always delivered himself because of his sense of responsibility," and urged, "Please ensure that the murderer does not escape by abusing the law for my father, who never once lived without working hard all his life."

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