A man who claimed to have found an elderly person collapsed on the ground and took them to the hospital is now facing hit-and-run charges, after surveillance footage indicated that it was his car that struck the victim.
Officials of the Gwangju Bukbu Police Station said the hit-and-run case was forwarded to the prosecution Thursday. The suspect, in his 60s, is believed to have hit and killed an 80-something-year-old man on Feb. 11 in an apartment complex parking lot in Buk-gu, Gwangju.
He faces charges of violating Article 5-3 of the Act on Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, which stipulates that a hit-and-run can be punished by imprisonment of a minimum of five years to life if the victim dies as a result of the accident.
The suspect initially claimed no involvement in the accident, telling police that he had found the elderly man collapsed on the ground and had taken him to the hospital. The victim sustained severe bodily fractures and died five days after the accident.
Surveillance camera footage from around the area showed the moment the suspect's car collided with the victim, although the images were blurry due to snow. The suspect's car did not have a black box.
The suspect denies the charges. He maintains that he merely took the victim to the hospital and did not cause the fatal accident. He is being investigated without physical detention.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
