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Unlicensed driver arrested after dragging cop in traffic stop

Published: 28 Apr. 2025, 14:42 Updated: 28 Apr. 2025, 21:04

The Korean police logo [YONHAP]

Police arrested a man at a bar after he dragged a police officer with his vehicle as he fled a traffic stop in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, on Sunday.

Police said Monday that they had urgently arrested the man in his 40s on charges of obstruction of official duties resulting in injury.

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The man allegedly drove for about 10 meters (32 feet) with a police officer hanging onto his vehicle at around 7:15 p.m. on Sunday. The officer sustained abrasions in the incident.

The officer identified the man’s vehicle as belonging to an unlicensed driver through a plate check, according to police.

The officer and a colleague approached in their patrol car and instructed the man to pull over to the side of the road.

But when the officer approached the driver’s side, the man suddenly sped off, injuring the officer who tried to stop him.

Police tracked the man’s movements using CCTV footage and arrested him about three hours later at a nearby bar, where he was drinking with his acquaintance.

Investigators found that authorities had previously suspended the man’s license for a similar offense.

"I fled because I was afraid my unlicensed driving would be discovered,” the man said during questioning. “I was not intoxicated at the time.”

Police are investigating the possibility that the man engaged in what is known as "drinking after driving," a tactic where a driver drinks alcohol after an incident to complicate breathalyzer tests and avoid immediate charges of drunk driving.

Authorities said they are considering requesting an arrest warrant for the man.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]