Man gets suspended sentence for drunk driving, crashing into police car to evade arrest

A South Korean court has sentenced a 50-year-old man to three years in prison, suspended for five years, for drunk driving and injuring a police officer. The incident occurred when the man, with a history of three previous drunk driving offenses, attempted to evade a sobriety checkpoint.

He fled from the police for about 4 kilometers, driving at speeds up to 130 km/h in a 60 km/h zone. His dangerous driving included ignoring stop signals, swerving into other lanes, and making unsafe lane changes. During the chase, he collided with a police patrol car that was blocking his path.

The collision resulted in injuries to an officer, who sustained a back injury requiring approximately two weeks of treatment. The patrol car also sustained damage estimated at 1.92 million won. The court cited the man's repeated drunk driving offenses and the severity of his actions in reaching its sentencing decision.