First Seizure of Vehicle Involved in 'Drunk Hit-and-Run' Causing 3 Casualties

First Case of Vehicle Seizure for Habitual Drunk Driver in Fatal Accident
70-Year-Old Woman Dies, Two Others Sustain Serious and Moderate Injuries

A vehicle driven by a man in his 20s, who was intoxicated in broad daylight and hit pedestrians crossing a crosswalk, resulting in three casualties, has been seized. This is the first case since the implementation of the 'Joint Prosecution and Police Measures to Eradicate Drunk Driving,' which includes seizing vehicles involved in fatal accidents and those driven habitually under the influence.

A vehicle driven by a person in their 20s, who was heavily intoxicated in broad daylight and hit pedestrians crossing a crosswalk, causing three casualties, has been seized.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 4th, Osan Police Station in Gyeonggi Province reportedly received the QM6 vehicle driven by A (25), who was arrested on charges including violation of the Act on Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (hit-and-run causing death), as a voluntary submission the previous day, according to Yonhap News. If A had refused to voluntarily submit the vehicle, the police planned to apply for a seizure warrant and forcibly take the vehicle, but since A complied, no warrant was requested.

Accordingly, A’s vehicle, currently stored at a towing office, will be treated as seized evidence in a general case and handed over to the prosecution at the indictment stage. If the court orders confiscation of the vehicle during the trial, ownership will be completely transferred away from A.

A police official stated, "A admitted to the crime, expressed remorse, and voluntarily submitted the vehicle, which was seized. The vehicle will be treated as an 'instrument of the crime' and handed over to the prosecution at the indictment stage."

The prosecution and police have been implementing a drunk driving prevention measure since the 1st of this month, which involves confiscating or seizing vehicles if a fatal accident occurs due to drunk driving or if the driver is a habitual offender.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Vehicles are subject to confiscation if a drunk driving accident results in death or multiple injuries, or if the driver commits hit-and-run while intoxicated, reoffends, or violates other traffic accident special laws.

This also applies if a person with two or more drunk driving offenses within five years injures someone, or if a person with three or more offenses commits simple drunk driving.

Meanwhile, A is accused of drunk driving on the 27th of last month on a road in Osan-dong, Osan City, in front of Osan Post Office, hitting three pedestrians crossing a crosswalk and fleeing the scene. A woman in her 70s, B, died in the accident, and the other two sustained serious injuries.

After the accident, A fled about 1 km before crashing into the rear of a vehicle waiting at a traffic signal and stopping. A was arrested by responding police officers. A blood alcohol test confirmed that A was driving in a state of severe intoxication with a blood alcohol concentration exceeding 0.2%.

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