'Drug Driving' Rolls-Royce Driver Sent to Prosecution... "Sorry to the Victim"

Additional Hit-and-Run Charges

Shin (28), who drove a Rolls-Royce vehicle onto the sidewalk and struck a pedestrian causing serious injuries, has been sent to the prosecution.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At 7:50 a.m. on the 18th, in front of the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul, Shin responded to reporters' questions such as "Do you have anything to say to the victims and their families?" and "Do you admit to the charge of drug overdose?" by saying, "I sincerely apologize. I am sorry," before getting into the escort vehicle. The police sent Shin to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on charges including dangerous driving causing injury and hit-and-run under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, serious injury under the Special Act on the Treatment of Traffic Accidents, and drugged driving under the Road Traffic Act.

Shin is accused of driving a Rolls-Royce onto the sidewalk near Apgujeong Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, at around 8:10 p.m. on the 2nd, injuring a woman in her 20s. The victim suffered severe injuries to her head and legs, underwent surgery, but is currently in a brain-dead state. Investigations revealed that Shin had been administered two types of psychotropic drugs at a hospital earlier that day and then drove, causing the accident.

The police arrested Shin immediately after the accident and conducted a rapid drug test, which showed a positive reaction for ketamine. However, Shin was released 17 hours after being detained. Shin stated, "I received treatment at a hospital a few days ago, and the injection contained ketamine," and the hospital confirmed the prescription. Subsequently, the police received forensic results from the National Forensic Service indicating the presence of seven types of psychotropic drugs, including ketamine, and after supplementary investigations, Shin was detained on the 11th.

The victim's side filed a complaint with the police against the doctor who prescribed the drugs to Shin. Attorney Kwon Nawon of the Haegwang Law Firm stated on the 16th, "We have filed a complaint against the plastic surgeon near Apgujeong Station who administered two types of narcotics to Shin on the day of the accident for professional negligence causing injury, aiding drugged driving under the Road Traffic Act, and violations of the Narcotics Control Act and Medical Service Act." He added, "The doctor should have been aware that Shin would drive after visiting the hospital multiple times and had a duty to either discharge him only after symptoms had subsided or to prevent him from driving, but allowed him to drive, which constitutes negligence."

Attorney Kwon also requested investigations into the doctors who prescribed seven types of psychotropic drugs to Shin over 16 occasions from February until recently, for violations of the Narcotics Control Act and Medical Service Act. The police conducted searches at three clinics that prescribed sleeping anesthetics and other drugs to Shin and secured medical records related to treatment and prescriptions. Shin has a prior record of being caught after using methamphetamine five times and was sentenced to one year in prison with a three-year probation.

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