Suspect accused of driving drunk, asking mother to take blame charged for causing injury
Published: 23 Feb. 2026, 16:41
![The prosecution logo is seen on a flag in front of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul on Feb. 17, 2025. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/02/23/05bd4f22-40ed-4afe-81c0-502fc8bbcb77.jpg)
The prosecution logo is seen on a flag in front of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul on Feb. 17, 2025. [NEWS1]
A person accused of causing a crash that seriously injured five people while driving drunk and asking their mother to take the blame has been indicted and detained, prosecutors said Monday.
The suspect allegedly drove into oncoming traffic around 10 p.m. in August last year on a road in Yongnam-myeon, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang, before fleeing the scene.
Authorities said a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction stopped abruptly to avoid the suspect's car and was rear-ended. Five people involved in the crash suffered serious injuries.
The Tongyeong branch of the Changwon District Prosecutors’ Office charged the suspect with causing injury in a hit-and-run under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.
After the crash, the suspect allegedly asked their mother to tell police that she had been driving. She made the statement but was not punished under a Criminal Act provision that exempts relatives from criminal penalties in certain cases.
Police initially identified one injured victim and referred the case to prosecutors without detention. Prosecutors later requested further investigation into the number of victims and whether the suspect had been drinking.
Police reviewed medical records and confirmed that five people were injured. Investigators traced CCTV footage showing the suspect leaving a bar and questioned acquaintances to establish that the suspect had consumed alcohol.
Authorities were unable to measure the suspect's blood alcohol level at the time because the suspect fled.
Prosecutors convened a prosecution citizens’ committee — which reviews the appropriateness of investigations, prosecutions and warrant requests in high-profile cases — and, after determining that the case was serious, detained the suspect and sent him to trial.
Prosecutors also provided financial support for medical expenses to one of the seriously injured victims through a prosecution-run victim support center.
“We will continue to seek thorough supplementary investigations to clarify the facts and support victims’ recovery," a prosecution official said.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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