Victim's Right Foot Amputated in Drunk Driving Hit-and-Run... Reason for Changed Court Ruling in Appeal Trial

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[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] A man in his 50s who caused a hit-and-run accident while driving under the influence in broad daylight and received a suspended sentence in the first trial was sentenced to prison and taken into custody in the appellate trial.

On the 10th, the Chuncheon District Court Criminal Division 1 (Presiding Judge Kim Cheongmi) overturned the original sentence of 3 years imprisonment with 4 years probation and sentenced A (59), who was charged with hit-and-run injury under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes and DUI under the Road Traffic Act, to 1 year and 6 months in prison.

A was prosecuted for allegedly driving a Carnival passenger car in a state of intoxication with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.102% around 2:35 p.m. on March 8 last year, hitting B (73), who was walking along the shoulder, and fleeing the scene.

At the time, after hitting B, A ran over B's ankle with the right front wheel, and B hit his head on the car hood and fell into the roadside drainage ditch. Due to this accident, B's right foot was severely damaged and had to be amputated.

It is known that A had previously received summary fines twice for DUI offenses.

The Chuncheon District Court Wonju Branch, which handled the first trial, sentenced A to a suspended prison term, citing the very bad nature of the crime but also considering his sincere remorse, the lack of clear intent to flee, and the fact that the victim who reached a settlement did not want the defendant to be punished.

However, the appellate court accepted the prosecution's claim that "the sentence was too light and unfair" and imposed a heavier sentence than the first trial. The court pointed out, "The defendant's negligence is very serious as he used a mobile phone while driving in a state of significantly reduced concentration due to alcohol and drove very close to the roadside, hitting the victim."

It added, "The victim suffered permanent disability and will have to give up, endure, and overcome many things in life, so the pain is expected to continue for the rest of his life. Even considering favorable circumstances, severe punishment corresponding to the guilt is inevitable."

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