Sanitation Worker Hit by 'Sukchi Driving' Car Loses Leg... Sixth Drunk Driving Offense Leads to 2-Year Prison Sentence

Accident While Moving with Footboard at Vehicle Rear Occupied
Court: "Hazardous Work Method Also Caused Damage Expansion"

A man in his 40s who, while driving with a hangover, collided with a household waste collection vehicle and caused a sanitation worker to suffer a leg amputation injury was sentenced to prison.

According to a Yonhap News report on the 9th, Judge Park Hyunjin of the Chuncheon District Court Wonju Branch Criminal Division 2 sentenced A (43), who was detained and prosecuted on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (injury caused by a dangerous driver) and the Road Traffic Act (drunk driving), to two years in prison.

On March 15 at around 6:20 a.m., A was driving a passenger car with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.084% on a road in Taejang-dong, Wonju-si, Gangwon Province, when he rear-ended the back of a 5.8-ton compactor garbage truck that collects and compresses waste. Three employees of the environmental service company riding in the collection vehicle were injured in the accident. In particular, B (34), who was riding on the rear footboard of the vehicle to collect waste, suffered a severe injury resulting in the amputation of his right foot after being directly hit by A’s vehicle. C (27), who was also riding on the footboard with B, was able to avoid serious injury by escaping the vehicle.

Chuncheon District Court Wonju Branch Photo by Yonhap News

A is reported to have at least five prior offenses for drunk driving. The court sentenced A to prison but also recognized some fault on the part of the victims.

Judge Park stated, "The defendant has at least five prior offenses of the same kind and caused the accident while driving with a hangover," and added, "Efforts to compensate the victims have also been insufficient." He continued, "However, it is difficult to deny that the dangerous work method of two victims riding on the rear footboard of the waste collection vehicle contributed to the extent of the damage," explaining, "The sentence was determined after comprehensively considering various circumstances."

Meanwhile, the 'Safety Work Guide for Household Waste Collection and Transportation' published by the Ministry of Employment and Labor prohibits riding on the rear or cargo bed of cleaning vehicles while in transit.

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