The Korea Herald

피터빈트

Man found dead in reservoir, day after drunk driving accident

By Yoon Min-sik

Published : July 26, 2024 - 10:59

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(Herald DB) (Herald DB)

South Korean police have kicked off an investigation into the death of a man in his 40s whose body was found in a local reservoir Thursday, believing him to be responsible for a drunk driving accident a day earlier.

The man's body was found at 2:48 p.m. Thursday floating in the Yongjeong Reservoir in Goesan-gun, North Chungcheong Province. The initial probe showed no signs of foul play and no indications that the deceased took his own life.

Surveillance footage of the surrounding area showed that the victim had run into a structure inside a median strip of the road, about one kilometer from the reservoir, at 12:19 a.m. Wednesday. He was then seen abandoning his car and walking in the direction of the reservoir.

He was reported missing by his wife at 10:37 a.m. Wednesday.

The police investigation found that the victim had been drinking with his colleagues up until he got in his car, and officials suspect that he may have fled the scene to dodge punishment for driving under the influence. They remain unsure of how he ended up in the water.

Officials are questioning the bereaved family of the victim as part of the ongoing probe to determine the timeline of events.