Drunk Hit-and-Run Driver Who Killed Female College Student Returning from Part-Time Job Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison

Court: "Considering the fact that the defendant fled without aiding the victim"

A driver in his 30s, Mr. A, was sentenced to prison for hitting and killing a female college student who was returning home after a part-time job. The photo shows Mr. A's vehicle at the time of the accident. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] A man in his 30s who was driving drunk at dawn and hit a female college student returning home after finishing her part-time job, causing her death, has been sentenced to prison.

The Daejeon District Court Criminal Division 7 (Judge Kim Ji-young) sentenced Mr. A (38), who was indicted on charges including hit-and-run causing death under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, to 11 years in prison on the 16th.

The court stated the sentencing reasons, saying, "The defendant bears heavy responsibility for causing the death of the victim while driving under the influence and hitting pedestrians crossing the crosswalk," and "considered the fact that he fled without providing aid to the victim."

On October 7th at around 1:30 a.m., Mr. A, intoxicated, was driving a Carnival van and passed through an intersection in Seo-gu, Daejeon, when he hit two pedestrians crossing the crosswalk and fled the scene.

As a result of the accident, a woman in her 20s, Ms. B, suffered a severe head injury and died, and a man in his 30s, Mr. C, who was crossing the street with her, was seriously injured and received treatment at a nearby hospital.

Notably, Ms. B was a college student preparing for employment before graduation and was living alone in Daejeon, separated from her family. At the time of the accident, she was returning home after finishing work at a chicken restaurant. After being hit by Mr. A’s vehicle, she was reportedly thrown about 40 meters from the crosswalk and collapsed, eventually dying.

Mr. A’s vehicle continued about 4 km from the accident site before crashing into a nearby sidewalk and hitting a flower bed, finally coming to a stop. At the time, Mr. A’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.203%, well above the license cancellation threshold of 0.08%, indicating a state of severe intoxication.

During the trial, Mr. A submitted about 30 letters of apology, but more than 100 petitions and appeals urging strict punishment for Mr. A were submitted to the court.

Meanwhile, Ms. B’s family posted a petition on the Blue House National Petition Board, stating, "Today, our beloved niece passed away. It is very upsetting that drunk driving is taken lightly. We hope the punishment will be strengthened so that such incidents never happen again," urging strict punishment for Mr. A.

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