▲ Scene of the incident
A 50-year-old taxi driver, identified as A, is still suffering from anxiety a month after an incident he experienced while driving last month.
"The memories of that day come back to me every night, and I feel anxious. I still cannot drive at night at all," A said.
On June 10, at approximately 12:44 a.m., A was assaulted while driving through the Dongcheon Tunnel on the Yongin-Seoul Expressway toward Yongin, with a 50-year-old intoxicated passenger, B, in the vehicle.
B, who had boarded the taxi at Gangnam Station in Seoul, suddenly demanded that the vehicle be stopped and began choking A with one arm while the car was in motion.
The footage from the time shows A struggling in fear while B wraps his arm around A's neck and chokes him.
B continued to threaten A for about three minutes, pulling his neck backward.
A dangerous struggle ensued when B tried to snatch A's mobile phone as A attempted to reach for it to call 112.
"I was terrified because this happened while I was driving through a highway tunnel at a speed of over 100 km/h," A explained. "Because of the drunk passenger's attack, my glasses were knocked off, and I could barely see. I almost had a major accident by hitting the tunnel wall."
The situation ended after A pulled the vehicle over to the shoulder and reported the incident to the police.
"Due to that day, I suffered bruises on my neck and was diagnosed with a two-week injury. I am also receiving psychiatric treatment for acute stress disorder," he added. "Because of the shock, I am currently unable to drive a taxi at night."
The Yongin Seobu Police Station has booked and investigated B on charges of assaulting a driver under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes.
A police official stated, "We expect the suspect to be referred to the prosecution within this week."
(Photo: Provided by the victim, Yonhap News)
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