A Drunk 30-Year-Old Who Caused a Daughter's Death by Driving Backwards in Front of Her Mother Receives Prison Sentence in Appeal Trial

A man in his 30s who caused a fatal accident by driving in the wrong direction inside a tunnel while intoxicated was sentenced to prison again in the appellate court.

On the 12th, the Criminal Division 5 of Changwon District Court in Gyeongnam sentenced Mr. A, who was indicted for violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, to five years in prison, the same as the original trial.

According to the court, Mr. A was prosecuted for driving in the wrong direction in the Yangjeong Tunnel in Geoje City at around 1:45 a.m. in December 2021 while heavily intoxicated, colliding with two vehicles driving normally and causing the death of Mr. B, a driver in his 20s.

The drivers of the vehicles involved in the accident were reported to be a mother and daughter who were returning home after closing their store that day.

Changwon District Court, Gyeongnam.
Photo by Se-ryeong Lee

Ms. C, the mother who was driving behind Mr. B and witnessed the accident scene, was injured to the extent that she required two weeks of medical treatment.

At the time, Mr. A was reportedly driving about 2.5 km with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.190%, indicating severe intoxication.

Investigations revealed that from the 22nd intersection in Ajoo-dong, Geoje City, to the accident site about 200 meters into the Yangjeong Tunnel, a 2 km stretch, Mr. A was driving at 166 km/h, exceeding the speed limit of 70 km/h by 96 km/h.

Mr. A appealed, claiming the original sentence was too harsh, but the appeal was rejected.

The court stated the sentencing reasons, saying, “Although Mr. A deposited 30 million won in bail, his guilt is very serious,” and “Considering that the bereaved family still petitions for severe punishment, there is no reason to overturn the original sentence.”

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