Drunk driver who hit 171 km/h in tunnel, killing father of two, gets sentence reduced on appeal

A woman who caused a fatal crash while driving drunk at 171 kilometers per hour inside a tunnel has had the sentence reduced on appeal.

According to legal sources Monday, the third criminal division of Changwon District Court, presided over by Chief Judge Son Seung-woo, overturned the original ruling against the defendant, identified only as A, and sentenced A to two years and six months in prison along with a fine of 1 million won ($748).

A was indicted on charges including aggravated punishment under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Specific Crimes — specifically dangerous driving causing death and injury — after ramming a compact car from behind while driving an SUV in a heavily intoxicated state in the second lane of Yangjeong Tunnel in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, at around 12:45 a.m. on Feb. 15, during the Lunar New Year holiday. The driver of the compact car, a man in his 40s identified as B, died from the injuries.

A also faces charges of injuring a driver in their 20s who had braked sharply in the first lane after witnessing the collision.

A's vehicle was traveling at 171 km/h at the time — about 101 km/h over the tunnel's speed limit of 70 km/h. A's blood alcohol concentration exceeded 0.113 percent.

Investigators also found that A had struck a central guardrail on a road in Geoje in September last year while driving and fled the scene without stopping.

The first-instance court said A "drank for four hours on the day of the accident and drove recklessly, killing B, who was raising two minor children," adding that "the shock and grief of the bereaved family is beyond measure, and A had a prior record of causing a traffic accident and fleeing before this incident."

Taking into account that A admitted to the offense and showed remorse, and that A had reached a settlement with the bereaved family for 180 million won, the court sentenced A to three years in prison and a fine of 1 million won.

A appealed, arguing the sentence was too harsh, while prosecutors also appealed, contending it was too lenient.

The appeals court explained its decision to reduce the sentence, saying A had reached a settlement with the bereaved family at the original trial and that the family was seeking leniency, and that A had also reached an amicable settlement with the injured victim during the appeals proceedings. The court added that, considering A had no prior criminal record, the original sentence was excessively harsh.