A tourist in his 20s who crashed a rental car while heavily intoxicated on Jeju Island was caught for drunk driving after his smartwatch automatically alerted emergency services.
According to the Jeju Island Fire Safety Headquarters, an Avante rental car driven by a tourist in his 20s, identified only as A, fell into a roadside ditch near the Hannam-ri community office in Namwon, Seogwipo, at around 4:22 a.m. Monday.
Two men in their 20s were in the vehicle. Immediately after the crash, the smartwatches they were wearing detected the collision and automatically called 119.
Thanks to the automatic alert, A and his companion, who were trapped inside the car, were rescued by paramedics who responded to the scene.
Both sustained minor injuries, including bruises, and were taken to a hospital for treatment.
A police investigation found that A's blood alcohol concentration was at or above 0.08 percent, the threshold for license revocation.
Police booked the two on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act and plan to investigate the exact circumstances of the accident.
betterj@heraldcorp.com
