Hit-and-run driver gets 20-yr prison term in ‘Apgujeong Rolls-Royce’ case

SEOUL, A Seoul court sentenced a hit-and-run driver to 20 years in prison Wednesday for ramming his Rolls-Royce onto a sidewalk under the influence of drugs, fatally hitting a passerby and fleeing in the posh district of Apgujeong last year. The Seoul Central District Court delivered the verdict to the 28-year-old defendant, identified only by his surname Shin, rejecting his claim that he had left the scene to seek help from a doctor after hitting the victim on Aug. 2. The victim, aged 27 at the time, was declared brain dead and died about four months later. "The defendant ignored the doctor's orders to refrain from driving under the influence of ketamine, and the victim was suddenly hit under circumstances where it was impossible to avoid the crash," the court said, citing reasons for the gravity of the crime. "Immediately after the collision, (the defendant) was busy trying to destroy evidence, and he showed abnormal behaviors, like smiling at the victim while being arrested," the court added. Investi gations found the suspect had driven under the influence of psychotropic drugs, such as Midazolam and Diazepam, administered by a hospital on two occasions. Shin, who has a record of using illegal drugs twice in the past, tested positive for seven drugs in total, including ketamine, according to a drug test conducted by the National Forensic Service (NFS). Source: Yonhap News Agency