"Grandmother Said She Had an Accident," Took Taxi from Incheon to Cheonan... 130,000 Won 'Eat-and-Run'

Passenger Who Fled Upon Arrival at Destination
Chasing Driver Falls and Gets Injured

A man fled without paying the taxi fare despite traveling over 100 km by taxi from Incheon to Cheonan, Chungnam, prompting the police to launch an investigation.

According to the Cheonan Seobuk Police Station in Chungnam on the 23rd, a report was received on the 16th at around 3:30 p.m. from a taxi driver in his 60s, Mr. A, near Jiksan Station in Seobuk-gu, Cheonan, stating that "a passenger fled without paying the fare."

On the 16th, a passenger fled without paying the fare after taking a taxi from Incheon to Cheonan, Chungnam, causing public outrage. [Image source=Online community 'BobaeDream']

It was confirmed that Mr. A picked up a man in his 20s, Mr. B, near Baegun Station in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, at around 1:20 p.m. that day and traveled to Cheonan.

After arriving in Cheonan, Mr. B told Mr. A, "My father is waiting, so let's go collect the taxi fare," and got out of the taxi, but then immediately fled. The police are tracking Mr. B by analyzing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage.

Driver's Son: "My heart breaks seeing my father's devastated face"

This incident became known after Mr. A's son posted a message titled "My father was also a victim of taxi fare evasion" on the online community 'Bobaedream.'

According to the post, Mr. B said, "My grandmother had a car accident, so I urgently need to go to Cheonan," and promised, "I will pay 130,000 won for the taxi fare upon arrival." However, upon reaching Cheonan, Mr. B fled, and during the chase, Mr. A fell and sustained bruises.

Mr. A's son revealed, "My father fell near the stairs while chasing the suspect and suffered injuries to his knees, arms, and back of his hands," adding, "After reporting the incident, seeing my father's devastated face driving back from Cheonan recorded on the dashcam truly broke my heart."

He continued, "People must take responsibility for their wrongful actions. I hope society does not come to accept bad deeds as normal. I hope those who do wrong cannot rest easy."

Meanwhile, fare evasion is punishable by a fine of up to 100,000 won under the Minor Offenses Act. However, if it is proven that the passenger intentionally planned not to pay the taxi fare from the start, the act can be considered fraud. If convicted of fraud, the penalty can be imprisonment for up to 10 years or a fine of up to 20 million won.

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