Bereaved family call for heaviest punishment in Daejeon school zone accident

The bereaved family of one of the victims of the Daejeon school zone drunk driving accident called for the heaviest punishment for the suspect, as well as for other drunk drivers, after the funeral held Tuesday.

“There should never be another child sacrificed like Seung-ah again,” victim Bae Seung-ah's older brother said in an interview with local media after the nine-year-old girl's funeral in Daejeon.

He insisted that far stricter punishments must be given to those who engage in drunk driving in order to prevent the death of children in school zones.

Bae was one of four children hit by a car as it crashed into the sidewalk in a school zone around Tanbang Middle School in Daejeon at 2:21 p.m. on Saturday. The driver, a former public official, is 66 years old and was reported to have a blood alcohol level of 0.108 percent.

The girl was immediately taken to hospital in a state of cardiac arrest but died on Sunday. Another victim is in critical condition after undergoing brain surgery.

Bae’s family, including her mother who held on to Bae’s beloved stuffed pig, said goodbye to her daughter in tears during the funeral service.

Bae’s ashes were placed at Daejeon Memorial Park after the funeral.

The suspect was detained by police on Monday.

After drinking 13 to 14 soju and beer-mixed drinks in Jung-gu, Daejeon, the suspect drove for about 20 minutes, approximately 5.3 kilometers, according to police.

The suspect maintains that he did not realize he had hit the children because he was under the influence. He later changed his testimony regarding how much he drank, initially stating that he had drunk only half a bottle of soju.