A drunk driver who drove onto a sidewalk and killed a sanitation worker has provoked public outrage after footage showed the driver calmly smoking a cigarette immediately after the crash.
The crash occurred at about 6:30 a.m. on the 23rd of last month on a road in Anrak-dong in the Dongnae District of Busan. A man in his 20s drove his passenger car onto the sidewalk and struck a sanitation worker in his 40s who was performing cleaning duties.
At the scene, the victim tried to dodge the sudden onrush but could not avoid the speeding vehicle.
The seriously injured sanitation worker was taken to a hospital but died the following day. He was the head of a household with a high-school-aged child and a middle-school-aged child, and colleagues say he was struck just 30 minutes into his shift, adding to the tragedy.
Police say the driver had been drinking with acquaintances and then drove roughly 5 km. His blood-alcohol concentration was at a level that triggers a license suspension.
Three friends who had been drinking were in the car; investigators confirmed two of them left the scene immediately after the crash.
Witnesses say the driver was seen calmly smoking during the aftermath, a sight that intensified public condemnation. Critics say his behavior was reckless and irresponsible even after causing a fatality.
Police plan to request an arrest warrant for the driver. The three passengers were booked on charges of assisting drunk driving without being detained.
