Man beats 70-year-old taxi driver for over 10 minutes after honk, then claims mutual assault

A man in his 20s beat a taxi driver in his 70s for more than 10 minutes after the driver honked at a vehicle that cut in front of him, then claimed mutual assault, according to a report aired Tuesday.

JTBC's "Sageon Banjang," a crime news program, reported that taxi driver A, in his 70s, was driving slowly through an alley in Daegu's Dongseong-ro area around 1 a.m. on June 20, waiting for passengers.

A vehicle suddenly cut in front of his taxi, and A honked twice out of concern over a potential collision. A man in his 20s who was passing by then approached the taxi and kicked the front bumper.

A got out of his vehicle, startled, at which point the man demanded to know why he had honked and began hurling profanities. When A protested the kick to his car, the man suddenly attacked him.

The assailant dragged A onto a five-lane road, knocked him down and beat him with his fists and feet. He then chased A as he tried to flee, continuing the assault for more than 10 minutes.

"He beat me mercilessly from head to chest to legs — my whole body," A said of the incident. "The impact was so severe I kept seeing flashes before my eyes."

The assault did not stop there. After briefly smoking a cigarette with his companions, the man pulled A back out of his taxi and continued beating him, stomping on him with his feet.

When police arrived at the scene, the man claimed he had also been struck by the taxi driver, alleging mutual assault. A was taken to a hospital, where he was diagnosed with serious injuries to his back and other areas requiring five weeks of treatment.

A said he had spent 3 million won ($1,950) on medical bills, adding, "The assailant did apologize, but he has said nothing yet about any settlement."

A police official said that after reviewing CCTV footage and other evidence, authorities determined the incident could not be considered a mutual assault. The suspect has been booked on assault charges, and police said they are reviewing whether to seek an arrest warrant.