Hey, and Hyundai doesn’t even have a SOFA! [IHT, HT to reader]
Hyundai helped exec flee after fatal crash: report
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{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
Clearly shows how the chaebols think about the law and its enforcement authorities, whether it is in Korea or the USA.
This is a tough case to make — the facts appear to be that the Korean executive had stopped his vehicle on the freeway for some reason, and turned off his lights. Ryan Dallas Cook, toodling along on his motorcycle, smashed into the vehicle at high speed and died from his injuries. Driver Youn Bum Lee, roused from his nap, drove off and contacted his co-workers and a criminal defense attorney before fleeing to Korea.
While it sure seems likely the Hyundai man was drunk at the wheel (who stops on the freeway for a nap?), without an investigation at the time of the accident it can’t be proven. I would imagine he’ll be convicted on two of the four felonies with which he’s been charged — again, who sleeps on the freeway? — but it seems fanciful to think a conviction will be possible without blood-alcohol tests.
Unless some Hyundai America co-worker, disgusted at this Korean asshole’s arrogance and indifference, will be testifying that “Lee had this many drinks with me before getting into his car that night.” If witness testimony is available, this guy is looking at some serious time plus a nice fat civil liability suit.
i never did it, but someone said a person could stop off the freeway and take a nap, and when the cop bothers you, you could say I was too tired to drive, so I decided to doze off the road or something and they might let you go.
maybe urban legend.
So, did RD Cook hit a parked car off the road or did he hit a car in the middle of the freeway? Does it make any difference?
To what extent would RD Cook’s fault be, speeding or what not? Maybe he was drunk, too. Link doesn’t say.
Your attempt to defend Youn Bum Lee by suggesting Ryan Cook was driving recklessly or drunk is admirable, wjk. I did some googling and couldn’t find a single article confirming any of your suspicions.
“Lee worked at Hyundai Motor America’s headquarters in Fountain Valley and on Oct. 18, 2005, joined some colleagues for dinner followed by a visit to a karaoke bar, according to court documents.
During that time, Lee drank at least eight shots of rice wine, a colleague told police.
Just after midnight, Lee began driving his company car back to his Irvine home, according to the suit. A short time later, 911 calls to the California Highway Patrol reported that a sport utility vehicle with its headlights off had been weaving and hit the center divider of the 55 Freeway.
One caller reported seeing a headlight approaching. Authorities said it was Cook’s motorcycle. The 23-year-old Cook braked but struck Lee’s car, which had backed away from the center divider and into a lane, a CHP report indicated. Cook was thrown from the motorcycle and hit by three other cars. He died at the scene.”
According to this report, Lee was not sleeping on the side of the road but had hit the center divider after weaving erratically. There are no details suggesting that Cook was driving unsafely.
And this doesn’t look good:
“The family’s attorneys said surveillance video shows that the executive was assisted in fleeing the country. The attorneys said two Hyundai executives escorted him onto an airplane.
“When they put him on that airplane, were they think about protecting Mr. Lee?” said attorney Wylie Aitken. “Or were they really thinking about protecting themselves?”
http://www.knbc.com/news/13373574/detail.html?rss=la&psp=news
This must all be a big mistake. I am sure we will all have a good laugh about this later.
“So, did RD Cook hit a parked car off the road or did he hit a car in the middle of the freeway? Does it make any difference?”
Not really since the guy is still is accused of fleeing the scene of the accident, which is in itself a totally different matter…But, it would make a difference if the car was in the middle of the freeway as someone claims the car was parked.
Brendon, can’t the family of a victim file a wrongful death suit against the driver who fled the scene of an accident by arguing that fleeing the scene was a contributing factor to the death of the victim?
I’m in Korea now. So if someone gives me his whereabouts I could run him over with a bus a few hours before returning to US.
You have to wonder what goes on in the minds of people here in Korea with respect to the hit and run by their countryman? “ We finally got some one-upmanship on the barbarians” “After all, those SOFA hiding bastards left Korea after making Belgian Waffles out of our teenage girls”
i wasn’t set out to defend the guy, I was just asking questions, because the original link didn’t say as clearly,
but, didn’t the US troops hide away from the ROK law enforcement?
Isn’t one of the sharp attacks against the dead girls, something like, why didn’t you girls open your eyes and stay out of the road?
What about Mr. Cook, then?
Mr. Cook, were you speeding by any chance? You had your headlights on, you could have slowed down, if you were obeying the 65mph, that nobody obeys in reality, especially on the HOV lane.
Isn’t that a little unfair to both the 2 girls and Mr. Cook?
by the way, I don’t see any mention of this guy on the Korean news outlets. That’s wrong.
Sueing Hyundai might be wrong or right, but it seems to follow the classic playbook in lawsuits. Sue where money is.
especially the phrase, “Hyundai was encouraging a corp culture of drinking and driving”
Sounds like a lawyer who’s expecting moo-lah.
this is a cheap shot, but I don’t think they’re simply interested in putting Lee behind bars. $ is expected, too. Lee might not be rich enough. Hyundai might fit the case.
In FACT, the caravan of military vehicles was so loud; the kids did plug their ears, close their eyes, and walk right into the middle of the PACK of vehicles. You don’t need headlights when the decibels are deafening.
really? So, the South Korean girls were committing suicide, then, right?
What about Cook? He technically rear ended a car, presumably being unable to slow down with that safety distance of some hundred feet ahead, at night on a motorcycle.
You’re calling that suicide, too?
Suicide? Nah. Darwin Award-worthy feat of stupidity? Now you’re talking.
Not at all! Refer back ol’ Railway’s chapter entitled, “Korean’s Cultural Denial of Danger” You will see this little mishap next to crossing streams during flash-floods and the Ajuma picking up Ginko nuts in the bus lane.
The stories I am getting here in OC (so cal) is that basically some Hyundai employees went out to eat in Garden Grove had some soju. Some of the employees suggested that Mr. Lee shouldn’t drive his Hyundai rental car back home. Anyhow being a true Korean ahjushi he politely declined (or vehmently) and drove home. Upon doing so decided to drive erratically. Thus the accident. Mr. Lee a Hyundai employee driving a Hyundai car had some legal representation. After the meeting, he quickly did a Doe Man Ga.
There has been a small uproar in our area due to Hyundai’s response due to this incident. Regardless of who was at fault, they basically assisted their own employee to flee the country first and then decided to give some information of what happened. If there had been no witness’ then Hyundai wouldn’t have even bothered to contact the Fountain Valley PD.
The uproar with this issue is the way the Hyundai employees/exec’s decided to deal with this issue. From the sound of it, it seems like Hyundai think s that they are living in Seoul and if enough money or time is thrown around, the problem will go away. Shame on Hyundai, your not in Kansas anymore…
wjk, the reason the motorcycle rear-ended your countryman was because it was driving on the road and not the sidewalk where it belonged!
wjk,
His headlight was on. Witnesses confirmed that his motorcycle headlight was on. I am pretty sure that Ryan Cook’s parents would rather have his son back that money. What the community here is trying to do is make sure something like this doesn’t happen again. Sure money will be involved, but what are you supposed to do to a corporation? You can sent the corporation to jail. Basically you do what is most detrimental to a corporation, hit their profit margin. Granted this law suit might not even make a dent in Hyundai’s armor, but I am damn sure their H.R. department and Hyundai exec’s change their policies regarding company sponsored ventures after business hours.
Just because tragedies happen all over the world, incidents don’t equal out. It isn’t poetic justice… I am sure most parents who loose their children are at a loss…nothing will make it right. Only time will ease some of their pain. One of the hardest things to deal with is a parent living longer than their own children. Yeah money might ease the pain, but the lives affected are never the same or right.
#18 well put. Now convince all the lawyers with the juice dripping off their teeth that humanity does not have a price tag. BTW: by no means do I agree with wjk.
The purpose of a civil lawsuit is twofold. First, the surviving family members must be compensated for their suffering. Second, the wrongdoer must be “sent a message” in terms onerous enough to deter the wrongdoer itself and also anyone else who might notice what happened to that other guy.
Corporations understand two things: Jail time for executives, and money. Money may be more of a punishment to a corporation, as it spreads the damage to the owners of the corporation — the shareholders.
@ wjk, the California Driver Handbook states one should NEVER park on a freeway, except:
1) in an emergency;
2) when an officer or device requires a stop; or
3) where a stop is specifically permitted.
If you’d be kind enough to check with your pal Mr. Lee to see whether his parking complied with any of the above I’d appreciate it.
Brendon, COME ON!!!! We are all well aware of the inter-workings of a lawsuit. We also know that your profession points out with glee that the concept of contrition was invented by lawyers, not! Of course people need to be held accountable for their transgressions; no reasonable person would debate that fact. My problem with your pedantic posting is the precept that corporations need to be taught a lesson as if they are this evil being. Corporations, water down to, we the people, the consumer, the end user, not a mythical enemy who’s soul mission is to get-away and cheat people as its mission. We end up paying the frivolous lawsuits that keep your peers in their lifestyles. I am normally on your side of the argument, but today you were crying out to be condemned.
“i wasn’t set out to defend the guy, I was just asking questions, because the original link didn’t say as clearly,
…
What about Mr. Cook, then?
Mr. Cook, were you speeding by any chance? You had your headlights on, you could have slowed down, if you were obeying the 65mph, that nobody obeys in reality, especially on the HOV lane.”
The reason not a single story has mentioned Mr.
Cook speeding is that either he wasn’t or at least his speed was not a factor. Face the facts and quit idly speculating. I understand you’re just trying to play devil’s advocate, wjk, and no doubt the ethnicity of the drunk driver has nothing to do with your position.
No amount of money can replace a loved one, but this family has been denied justice. If I were Cook’s parents, I’d be angry as hell, and I’d sue, too.
I would sue Mr. Lee. I would not Hyundai.
go to sleep, sonagi.
I didn’t make any such anti-corporate argument. My own experience as a lawyer has been precisely the opposite of what you posit: No corporate client has ever come to me asking how to break the law. (English teachers, however, ask for how-to pointers all the time, so as not to interrupt their weed habit.)
But what to do when a corporation does transgress?
Well, I guess it all comes down to personal responsibility. Did Hyundai force Lee to drink too much, force him to drive and not take a cab? I think the easy answer for many people is blaming the entity with the deepest pocket which will yield the biggest payday.
I know this blog was posted almost a year ago, but since Ryan was my friend, I feel that I must respond anyhow.
First of all, I would like to state that Ryan Dallas Cook was truly one of a kind. He had the kindest heart and he has thousands of fans who still love him to this say, and always will. He would have given you the shirt off his back, or try to make you smile anyway he can. Even if you just met, it felt like you knew him forever. Even You-Tube/google his name, or go to his myspace (myspace.com/dallascook) and you can see all the wonderful tributes people made and see how he was a such a beautiful being and kind soul. Actually, all of these things are understatements. He was SO SO loved.
I can say with 100% assurance that Dallas was not driving bad nor was he drunk (because that’s impossible, he rarely drank and he was returning from band practice in the Santa Ana area and I think heading to HB to go to work). Dallas was an extremely responsible guy. He was an eagle scout and enjoyed what he did, especially as a pro musician. He lived for this band and for his family. He enjoyed living life and he had that innocence to him that everyone held dear.
I know some of you here had questions, and I don’t blame you because you didn’t know the true details of this case. But I can ressure you that Dallas was drivng safe. Even the police confirmed that.
The section of the freeway where he was killed is something to be seen to truly understand what happened. I have been on that freeway many times. The car was PARKED in the carpool/HOV lane. It’s a dark car without it’s headlights on, making it difficult to see, especially at night. The section he was at is curved, against a big wall, so when you are in the carpool lane (where motorcycles are allowed in CA), you can’t really see what’s ahead of you, hence why Dallas didn’t see it until he struck the car. Everytime I drive by there, it’s really difficult, knowing he didn’t have a chance. I’m still not over what happened and knowing that Hyundai did something SO awful is not making this any easier. They waited DAYS to report what happened to the police. They allowed a criminal to fly away as a free man. He’s living god knows where, with his wife and son, while the Cook family has to live without any justice being served. With their loved son gone. Fans without their hero. The ska music community without it’s peer. The Suburban Legends (his band) without their brother.
I miss him dearly. God, I do. There’s not a day that goes by when I don’t think of him. I don’t know how someone like him couldn be taken away so fast. He was an angel.
Thanks for your attention. <3
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