The Korea Herald

피터빈트

Teen on joyride damages 4 cars

By Yoon Min-sik

Published : July 1, 2024 - 18:11

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Officers at a police station in Gyeonggi Province said Monday it is investigating a teenager on possible violation of the Road Traffic Act, after unlicensed driving by the adolescent led to a collision with four cars.

The teenage suspect, whose identity was withheld, took a Hyundai Sonata around 11:10 p.m. Sunday and drove it around Dongan-gu, Anyang, 18 kilometers south of Seoul. He told police that he had done so because he had an argument with his mother.

The boy, who did not have a driver's license, ran into a truck, and then hit three parked cars after fleeing the scene. The truck driver reported the case to the local police, who arrived on the scene and took the boy into custody.

He is being investigated for driving without a valid license and not taking appropriate measures after causing a traffic accident. The car he drove was registered as the property of a local rental car agency.

Police confirmed that while the suspect is a minor, he is not considered a criminal minor -- those under the age of 14 who have immunity from any form of criminal punishment. Officials are conducting an investigation to find out how a minor without a license was able to get his hands on a rental car, as law requires rental car agencies to check the licenses of its customers.