INCHEON — Comedian Lee Hyuk-jae, 54, has been booked by police after striking a motorcycle while driving under the influence of alcohol.
Incheon Yeonsu Police Station said on the 9th that it had booked Lee without detention on charges of drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act and was investigating the case.
Lee is accused of hitting a motorcycle that was waiting at a traffic light at an intersection in front of the Korea Coast Guard headquarters in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, at around 10 p.m. on the 8th, the previous day, while driving after drinking.
The motorcycle rider, a man in his 20s, suffered minor injuries. Lee's blood alcohol content, measured by police at the scene, fell within the range for license suspension — 0.03% or higher but below 0.08%.
Lee said he had one or two drinks during dinner at a restaurant near his home before driving and causing the accident, and that he reported it to police himself immediately afterward. He explained that while waiting at a traffic light he tried to pick up his mobile phone, his foot slipped off the brake, and his car hit a delivery motorcycle in front of him, according to police.
"If the injuries to the other driver are confirmed, charges of causing bodily injury under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents could also apply," a police official said.
Police plan to investigate the exact circumstances of the accident while confirming the extent of the victim's injuries to determine whether to apply the bodily injury charge.
