In a dramatic turn of events, a 23-year-old American service member found himself in a precarious situation in Seoul, South Korea, after allegedly stealing and crashing a compact car in the early hours of Sunday morning. The incident, which took place in the vibrant neighborhood of Hongdae known for its nightlife, resulted in injuries to two South Koreans involved in the crash.
According to local police from the Goyang Police Station, the service member reportedly took advantage of a Kia with the keys left in the ignition sometime during Saturday night or Sunday morning. The situation escalated when the Kia rear-ended a truck and another car at a red light in Goyang city, approximately nine miles north of Hongdae, prompting a swift response from authorities.
Firefighters equipped with extraction tools were called to the scene to free the trapped service member from the wreckage of the Kia. Following his rescue, the individual was handed over to U.S. military police for further investigation, including a test of his blood alcohol content. Despite the legal limit for driving in South Korea being 0.03%, the service member allegedly refused a breath test, citing breathing difficulties, and a blood sample was subsequently taken at a local hospital for analysis.
The incident has sparked both local and military investigations, with the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) cooperating with Korean National Police to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the crash. An Eighth Army spokesman emphasized the commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of both South Korean citizens and U.S. soldiers, highlighting that the investigation is ongoing and further details will be disclosed in due course.
