Drunk driver who claimed he drank more beer after an accident has been banned from driving for life

An expert from the Health Sciences Authority found that even if he had drunk five cans of beer after the accident, he would still have been drunk at the time of the accident.

The expert said Song’s breath alcohol content would have been at least 61 micrograms per 100 ml of breath at the time of the accident.

When asked to report for bail on October 30, 2020, Song changed his story and claimed that he actually drank more than ten cans of beer after returning home.

The expert said that even if he had drunk ten cans of beer after the accident, his breath alcohol level at the time of the collision would still have been at least 39 micrograms per 100 ml of breath.

The court was also told that traffic police found only four empty cans on his table after the accident.

Drunk drivers claiming to have consumed alcohol after an accident to avoid prosecution are not new tactics.

Recently, a 60-year-old man in South Korea avoided a drunk driving charge by leaving behind a bottle of alcohol after being pulled over.

The court in Daegu said it could not confirm that he was drunk while driving because the evidence was circumstantial.

But in Song’s case, the district judge shifted the burden of proof to Song to show that his breath alcohol concentration would not have exceeded the prescribed limit if he had not consumed alcohol after the accident.

Song was unable to do this and the district judge rejected his claim that he drank more than ten cans of beer after the accident.

During his appeal on October 4, Song repeated that claim, claiming he was blind in his right eye.

Deputy District Attorney Jordon Li said if this were true, he should not have been driving in the first place.

Song then told the court that he saw a lot of fog before the accident.

Judge Hoo Sheau Peng dismissed Song’s appeals.

For repeated drunken driving, Song could have faced a prison sentence of up to six years and a fine of up to $60,000.

In 2023, there were 180 drunk driving accidents, compared to 175 in 2022. The number of fatal drunk driving accidents also increased from 10 in 2022 to 11.

In the first half of 2024, there were nine fatal crashes caused by drunk driving, compared to eight in the same period in 2023.