"Tired but Why Go All the Way Home"...Imprisonment for Refusing Breathalyzer Test

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] A man in his 60s who caused an accident while driving under the influence and refused to comply with a police officer's request for a breathalyzer test has been sentenced to a suspended prison term.

On the 14th, Jeong Moon-sik, Chief Judge of the Criminal Division 1 at Chuncheon District Court, announced that A (63), who was indicted for refusing a breathalyzer test under the Road Traffic Act, was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison with a 3-year suspension. He was also ordered to undergo probation for 2 years, attend 40 hours of law-abiding driving lectures, and complete 120 hours of community service.

On the early morning of November 17 last year, A was asked by a police officer at his home to take a breathalyzer test. However, A was prosecuted for refusing, saying, "I'm tired, why do you come all the way to my house to conduct a breathalyzer test?"

The police received a report stating, "A heavily intoxicated person was driving a vehicle that had just been parked and collided with another stationary vehicle before fleeing." They requested A to take the test three times, but A refused without a valid reason.

Judge Jeong Moon-sik stated, "Despite having multiple prior offenses for drunk driving, the defendant committed this crime and caused a traffic accident resulting in property damage during the incident. However, considering his sincere remorse and the compensation for the property damage, the sentence was determined."

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