By Lee Kyung-min
The police have arrested hit-and-run suspects who rendered a pedestrian a cripple.
A woman, surnamed Yoo, 20, just had her brand-new driver’s license, and was driving with her boyfriend next to her on May 5.
She hit a drunken man who was sitting on the street in Jeongneung in Seoul around 3 a.m.
The victim was dragged 20 meters caught between the front wheel and the chassis, according to the police.
The couple got out of the car, and saw the man unconscious. Fearing for the punishment, they fled the scene.
The victim was left there with a good pound of his arm and leg gone, and his rib broken.
Another pedestrian found the victim and hurried him to the hospital. He didn’t die but was pronounced disabled, the police said.
Police found an s-shaped plastic initial at the scene. They went through CCTV (closed circuit television) footage and concluded that a 1998-SM5 was the car model.
Visiting every 198 registered SM5s near the area led to the successful conclusion of the case. It took them 50 days.
Although the driver and her boyfriend admitted to their crimes, the police will still ask for an arrest warrant.
“They knew they hit a man, and even after they saw the victim lying on the ground badly hurt, they didn’t take necessary measure and just fled,” said one policeman.