"Life Imprisonment at Minimum"…Strict Punishment Demanded in Blue House Petition for Drunk and Drugged Wrong-Way Driving That Killed Taxi Driver

According to the police on the 19th, at around 4:08 a.m. that day, an Avante vehicle was driving in the wrong direction on Seobu Expressway in Yangpyeong-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, and collided head-on with a taxi. [Image source = Screenshot from JTBC News broadcast]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] A man in his 30s who caused a fatal accident by driving under the influence in the wrong direction and crashing into an oncoming taxi, killing the driver in his 60s, was found to have also used drugs. The bereaved family appealed through a Blue House national petition, saying, "He should be sentenced to life imprisonment at the very least" and "Please punish him severely."

On the 29th, a petition titled "I am the daughter of the head of the family who tragically died in a drunk and drug-related wrong-way driving accident" was posted on the Blue House national petition board.

The petitioner wrote, "At five o'clock in the early morning on the 19th, my mother urgently woke me up shouting, 'Dad has been in a traffic accident,'" adding, "It was snowing the day before, so I told him not to go out today, but he said he would earn a little money and come back, telling me not to worry. That was the last time I saw him."

She continued, "After Dad passed away, our family had no time to grieve and had to go to Yeongdeungpo Police Station to give victim family statements instead of holding a funeral," and said, "According to the police, both the perpetrator and the passenger were born in 1989, and they mercilessly hit Dad's car while under the influence of alcohol and drugs."

She added, "I vividly remember Dad’s face, unable to even close his eyes, tears welling up in them. Grandma is in a nursing hospital, and we haven't told her about her son's death yet, fearing it would shock her greatly," expressing anger, "But the perpetrators were not seriously injured; the driver has been discharged, and the passenger is recovering in the hospital."

Finally, the petitioner appealed, "Dad was someone who felt grateful for each day and had a strong will to live. Please ensure that those who took such a person's life in an instant are punished severely."

Netizens who read the story expressed their sorrow, saying, "He should receive at least life imprisonment. These incidents happen too often," and "Light punishments cause these incidents to repeat. Are they going to overlook it again because it’s drunk driving?" As of 8:45 AM on the 30th, 5,730 people had agreed with the petition.

The victims' families of this case posted a national petition demanding "severe punishment for the perpetrator." [Image source = Screenshot from the Blue House National Petition Board]

Earlier, around 4 AM on the 19th, a man in his 30s driving an Avante passenger car drove about 400 meters in the wrong direction on the Seobu Expressway in Mullae-dong, heading toward Anyang, and collided with an oncoming taxi.

As a result of the accident, both vehicles caught fire and were partially destroyed. The taxi driver in his 60s was seriously injured and taken to the hospital but ultimately died. At the time, Mr. A’s blood alcohol concentration was at a level warranting license cancellation.

Meanwhile, on the 22nd, the Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul announced, "While Mr. A and his passenger were receiving treatment at the hospital, both tested positive for drugs in their blood." The police, who launched an investigation, added charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act to Mr. A, who was already booked on charges including dangerous driving causing injury under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, and sent him to the prosecution with a recommendation for indictment.

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