Cheongju Police revealed Tuesday that the 37-year-old suspect caught last Thursday on alleged charges driving under the influence and fleeing the scene is an administrative court civil servant from a district court in North Chungcheong province.

According to the police, the suspect had initially ran his car into two parked vehicles -- a Grandeur and K5 sedan -- in front of the Cheongju District Court on Nov. 7 at 11:41 p.m. The suspect fled the scene and was caught after crashing his car into a traffic light 800 meters away.

No casualties were reported.

With the help of a passerby who reported the incident, the police were able to confirm that the suspect had been drinking and driving through a breathalyzer test upon arrival. 

Police said that the suspect looked “intoxicated” and “could not get out of the car due to contact wounds from the accident.” Due to the difficulty of measuring exact blood alcohol concentration levels, police also reported having taken blood samples from the suspect. Blood samples have been sent to the National Forensic Service for further analysis.

It is said that the suspect suffers neck and back wounds and was transported immediately to the nearest hospital for treatment.

Cheongju Sangdang Police Station announced that they have arrested the suspect for leaving the scene of a motor collision without detainment. They are still investigating the exact details of the accident.

Because it takes two to three weeks for blood sample analysis, police are waiting to see if the suspect‘s blood alcohol concentration exceeds the legal limit of 0.05 percent and whether to arrest him on added DUI charges. 

The administrative court official refused to make any further comments on the pertinent case. 

By Catherine Chung (cec82@heraldcorp.com)