[Sportschosun Reporter Jang Jong-ho] A Chinese man who even staged a fake funeral to avoid punishment for drunk driving was eventually arrested by police and sentenced to prison.
His family is also expected to face a criminal investigation for hiding the suspect.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), a man surnamed Shi, who lives in Anyang-si, Henan Province, China, had been under investigation on bail since he was caught by police on drunk driving charges in January last year.
During the investigation, police confirmed that Shi had previously been punished twice for unlicensed drunk driving. Under Chinese criminal law, drunk driving can fall under the offense of dangerous driving, which can result in a revoked license, one to six months of detention, and a fine.
Believing he could not escape punishment, Shi devised a plan to fake his own death. It was reported that he planned the scheme because his debts had grown during the investigation and, with a prior record, he feared he would be unable to restart a normal life if convicted.
In June last year, Shi bought a coffin in advance, scattered empty medicine bottles around his home, and staged the scene to make it look as if he had died from an overdose. He also used cooling equipment to lower his body temperature and held his breath while his family made it appear as though the body was his.
His family told neighbors that "his face was badly distorted from the overdose, so we covered it with a cloth." Before sunset that day, the family hurriedly buried the coffin, and Shi fled to Kunming, where he reportedly found work.
Police went to the scene after receiving a death report, but the coffin had already been buried, so they could not directly confirm the body. However, they began to suspect something was wrong after finding no record that the family had contacted emergency medical services or attempted treatment, and after confirming that a coffin had been purchased in advance.
Further investigation revealed that there was no death certificate issued by a hospital and no cremation record, and that the procedure to cancel his household registration had not been carried out. Villagers and relatives also said the face had remained covered with a cloth until the end, and that only his mother and grandmother had seen the actual body.
After analyzing CCTV footage, financial transaction records, and mobile phone usage logs, police concluded that Shi was still alive and launched a public manhunt.
Shi was eventually arrested in April while on the run and was recently sentenced by the court to five months in detention and a fine of 20,000 yuan, or about 4.3 million won.
Police have also launched an investigation into Shi's mother and grandmother on suspicion of concealing the suspect and helping him flee.
Internet users who saw the news reacted by saying, "None of this would have happened if he had simply not driven after drinking," "Even his family ended up being punished," and "It is pathetic that he thought this kind of trick would work."
Reporter Jang Jong-ho bellho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
