SEOUL — A woman in her 30s who crashed her black Porsche SUV off Banpo Bridge into the Han River embankment was arrested on January 27. Police reportedly found empty propofol bottles and disposable syringes inside the vehicle.
Seoul Western District Court issued an arrest warrant for the suspect, identified only as "A," following a pretrial detention hearing on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act and drug-impaired driving under the Road Traffic Act. The court cited concerns over evidence tampering and flight risk.
According to police, A crashed through the guardrail of Banpo Bridge at approximately 8:44 p.m. on January 25 and plunged onto the riverbank below. The collision destroyed the front of the Porsche beyond recognition and severely damaged a Mercedes-Benz driven by a man in his 40s, identified as "B." Both drivers were hospitalized with injuries but are not in life-threatening condition.
Police said they recovered propofol injection vials, sedative and anesthetic drugs, and multiple disposable syringes from A's vehicle on January 26. During questioning at Yongsan Police Station, A reportedly admitted to driving under the influence of drugs.
A appeared at the court hearing in a wheelchair with her face covered by clothing. She did not respond to reporters' questions about whether she acknowledged the charges, where she obtained the propofol syringes, or whether she had anything to say to the other driver.
Drug and substance-impaired driving incidents are rising sharply in South Korea. License revocations for such offenses reached 237 cases last year, up 45.4% from 2024 and nearly triple the 80 cases recorded three years ago, according to the National Police Agency. Traffic accidents caused by drug-impaired driving increased from 24 in 2023 to 75 last year, with fatalities rising from 19 to 46 over the same period.