US soldier’s wife booked for DUI hit-and-run accident

The wife of a U.S. soldier stationed in Korea has been booked without detention for causing a hit-and-run car accident while driving under the influence of alcohol, police said Monday.

The woman, known only by the initial of her name "P," allegedly swerved her Sonata sedan and rammed it into an SUV driving in the next lane around 9:50 p.m. on Friday in a residential area in Jamsil, southern Seoul, Songpa Police Station said.

After hitting the SUV, P drove away from the accident scene but was hunted down by the SUV driver, the driver was quoted by police as saying.

She was tested at the scene and found to have a blood alcohol concentration of 0.093 percent, a level which could lead to revocation of driver's license, the police said.

During police questioning, the woman stated that she drank at home before driving to eat out with her friend, police said.

Police said they plan to interrogate the U.S. soldier's wife about the hit-and-run after the SUV driver submits a medical report of injuries he sustained from the accident.

She will be accompanied by U.S. military authorities when she comes in for additional questioning on Thursday under the bilateral Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) that governs the legal status of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, according to the police.

About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as part of the two allies' defense against North Korea. (Yonhap)