Principal Involved in Drunk Driving Accident the Day After Retirement... Two Former Students Seriously Injured

Unprotected Left Turn Collision with Oncoming Vehicle
Victims in Their 20s Were Students Taught in Middle School

A man who retired as a high school principal caused a drunk driving traffic accident the day after his retirement. Coincidentally, two passengers in the other vehicle involved in the accident were reportedly his former students.

According to a report by Yonhap News on the 2nd, at around 6:30 p.m. on the 31st of last month, a Mohave vehicle driven by a man in his 60s, Mr. A, collided with a Torres vehicle at an intersection in Janghowon-eup, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi Province. At the time, Mr. A’s vehicle was making an unprotected left turn and collided with the Torres vehicle, which was going straight through a green light.

Exterior view of Icheon Police Station, Gyeonggi Province [Photo by Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency, Yonhap News]

As a result of the accident, Mr. A, the driver of the Mohave vehicle in his 60s, was seriously injured, and two people in their 20s riding in the Torres vehicle also sustained serious injuries and are receiving hospital treatment. Police who arrived at the scene immediately confirmed through a breathalyzer that Mr. A was driving under the influence of alcohol.

However, since Mr. A was seriously injured and accurate alcohol measurement was difficult, the police collected his blood to verify the exact blood alcohol concentration later. The police have booked Mr. A on charges including violation of the Road Traffic Act and plan to investigate the exact circumstances of the accident once his condition improves.

Mr. A, a former high school principal in the Gyeonggi area, retired on the 30th of last month, one day before the incident. The two victims, including Mr. B, who were seriously injured in the accident, are known to have been students at the school where Mr. A previously worked.

A representative for Mr. B told Yonhap News, "The victims are currently hospitalized in a university hospital and are unable to open their eyes," adding, "Mr. B and the others were students who took classes from Mr. A when they were in middle school."

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education revised the Teacher Service Regulations in 2022 to strengthen penalties for teachers’ drunk driving. Even a single disciplinary action for drunk driving permanently excludes a teacher from promotion to principal. Additionally, teachers disciplined for drunk driving are prohibited from special promotions upon honorary retirement and face restrictions on appointment as position teachers. Refusal to undergo alcohol testing is punished equally as drunk driving.

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