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A 70-year-old driver was sentenced to prison for driving while driving under the influence of a patrol car and running away at a speed of 200 km/h.
Yesterday (13th), the 14th Criminal Division of the Incheon District Court (Chief Judge Ryu Gyeong-jin) announced that A (70), who was charged with drunk driving and obstruction of the execution of special duties under the Road Traffic Act, was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison.
Mr. A was handed over to trial on the 4th of August at around 3:50 a.m. in the Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul area around Olympic-daero while driving a car while drinking alcohol and on charges of colliding with a patrol car that was following him.
At that time, when a patrol car dispatched after receiving a report from a taxi driver saying 'Drunk driving is suspected' found and pursued Mr. A's vehicle, Mr. A fled about 36 km at a speed of 190 to 200 km/h.
A was finally arrested as a taxi chased by the police blocked the front, and two patrol cars blocked the escape route from the side and back, respectively.
In the process, Mr. A pushed the patrol car on lanes 3 and 4 down to lane 1 with his own car, and a police officer in his 30s who was driving the patrol car suffered a cervical spine injury.
At the time of his arrest, his blood alcohol level was 0.223%, well above the license revocation level (0.08%).
As a result of the investigation, it was revealed that Mr. A had a history of being prosecuted for drunk driving or obstructing the execution of official duties in the past and punished five times.
The court said, "The defendant was driving while drunk and drove recklessly while fleeing to avoid being pursued by a patrol car," the court said.
Still, he said, "The defendant is reflecting on the crime," he said. said.
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Meanwhile, there is a constant public opinion that drunk driving is a crime with a high recidivism rate and that the level of punishment should be increased.
According to the National Police Agency, the recidivism rate for two or more drunk driving offenses was 43.7% in 2019, 45.4% in 2020, and 44.8% in 2021.
It is pointed out that in order to prevent such habitual drunk driving, technical approaches such as 'ignition lock' as well as stronger punishment are needed.
The ignition lock is a device that installs a breath meter in the vehicle to prevent the vehicle from starting or driving when the driver's alcohol is detected.
The National Police Agency is promoting a plan to make the installation of an ignition lock system mandatory for drivers whose licenses have been suspended or revoked for drunk driving in the past, and the related bill is currently pending in the National Assembly.
(Photo = Yonhap News)