A woman in her late 30s who killed a motorcyclist while speeding drunk with her two young daughters in the car has been sentenced to 12 years in prison on appeal.
The First Criminal Division of Daejeon District Court, presided over by Chief Judge Kang Gil-yeon, announced Wednesday that it had dismissed appeals by both the defendant, identified only as A (37), and prosecutors, upholding the original 12-year sentence. A had been indicted on charges including violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (fatal hit-and-run) and violation of the Child Welfare Act (child abuse).
A is accused of striking a motorcycle and killing its rider, B (28), at around 9:19 p.m. on Jan. 4 on a road in Hongseong-gun, South Chungcheong Province, while driving at 178 kilometers per hour with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.211 percent — well above the threshold for license revocation.
Investigators found that A had been traveling 118 kilometers per hour over the speed limit and had committed other reckless driving violations, including running a red light.
A also faces charges of fleeing the scene without rendering aid to the victim, despite being aware of the collision.
A's two daughters, aged 4 and 6, were in the vehicle at the time. Dashcam footage released to the media captured the girls pleading, "I'm scared. Mommy, please slow down."
Prosecutors applied child abuse charges on the grounds that A had inflicted emotional harm on the daughters.
The trial court found A guilty on all counts and ordered 12 years in prison along with 80 hours of a child abuse treatment program.
A admitted to the offenses only at the appeals stage, arguing the sentence was too harsh. Prosecutors, by contrast, sought 17 years, calling the original sentence too lenient. The appellate court rejected both arguments.
"The defendant drove at a speed far exceeding the limit while impaired by alcohol, struck a motorcyclist, and fled without providing any assistance despite being aware of the collision — the culpability is extremely grave," the court said. "A had a prior conviction for drunk driving and yet reoffended, and the blood alcohol concentration at the time was very high, making the conduct highly blameworthy."
The court added that "severe punishment is unavoidable given that A has not been forgiven by the victim's bereaved family and drove drunk and recklessly with young children in the vehicle for a considerable period," but noted that "all circumstances favorable or unfavorable to the defendant were already considered at the trial court, and we therefore reject both the prosecution's and the defendant's arguments on sentencing."
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