A man in his 20s was arrested after allegedly stealing a commercial taxi, causing a series of crashes while speeding through central Seoul, and attempting to flee on foot before being caught by a civilian who witnessed the incidents.
According to JTBC’s Crime Chief program on June 18, the chain-reaction hit-and-run incidents occurred around 1:30 a.m. on June 7 near Banpo Bridge in Seoul’s Seocho District.
A witness, identified only as A, said he and his girlfriend were waiting at a traffic signal when they saw a black van speeding toward an intersection from behind.
The vehicle allegedly entered the intersection against a red light and struck a taxi that was making a left turn with the right of way. The driver fled the scene immediately after the collision. The impact was reportedly strong enough to force open one of the rear passenger doors of the suspect vehicle.
After witnessing the crash, A began following the fleeing vehicle while instructing his girlfriend to call police. He maintained a safe distance while tracking the vehicle and noting its license plate number.
Additional crashes occurred during the pursuit. The suspect vehicle collided with another taxi, struck a tunnel divider wall, and then backed into A’s vehicle.
Despite the damage, the driver continued fleeing before eventually abandoning the vehicle in the middle of the road with the engine still running and attempting to escape into a nearby alley.
A then handed the wheel to his girlfriend, exited the vehicle and pursued the suspect on foot, eventually detaining him until police arrived.
The suspect, believed to be in his 20s, appeared intoxicated and repeatedly said, “I came from North Korea. I’m sorry,” according to the witness.
A said he restrained the man for approximately 15 minutes until officers reached the scene.
Police later determined that the vehicle being driven was a stolen commercial taxi. Authorities also found that the suspect had allegedly been involved in another crash at a separate location and was already being pursued by police before the incident.
The man refused a breathalyzer test at the scene and was subsequently arrested.
A police official told Crime Chief that the suspect was arrested on suspicion of refusing a breath alcohol test. The official added that a preliminary drug screening returned negative results and that a more comprehensive analysis has been requested from the National Forensic Service.
Regarding the suspect’s claim that he came from North Korea, the official said authorities had not previously heard that assertion and declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation.