Kang Jung-ho appears at Gangnam Police Station after being caught causing a car accident under alcoholic influence in Samseong-dong in December 2016. / Korea Times file



By Ko Dong-hwan

Major League Baseball player Kang Jung-ho is facing charges of causing a car accident while under the influence of alcohol and fleeing the scene.

Gangnam police said Wednesday they sent Kang, 30, from the Pittsburgh Pirates, to prosecutors after confirming he hit guardrails at a Samseong-dong intersection on Dec. 2 and fled without reporting the damage.

Kang's blood alcohol level was 0.084 percent at the time, enough to revoke his license.

Kang was caught after his friend, surnamed Yoo, a passenger in Kang's car, reported the accident to police, saying he was the driver.

But police found a video recorded by a camera in the car that showed Kang was driving.

Police said that while Yoo had voluntarily confessed to causing the crash, they were still investigating whether Kang persuaded Yoo up to speak up.

Kang was caught drunk-driving in 2009 and for causing an accident under the influence of alcohol in 2011.

Following the latest accident, Kang's driver's license will be revoked under Korea's "three-strikes" system.