Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office Investigates Drug-Impaired Driving Case; Secures Court Approval for Preventive Detention

Yesterday (May 29), this Office received a referral from the Qianzhen Branch of the Kaohsiung City Police Department regarding a defendant surnamed Hong, who operated a motor vehicle after consuming narcotics. Following the prosecutor's interrogation, the defendant was found to be strongly suspected of violating Article 185-3, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 3 of the Criminal Code regarding the offense of impaired driving, among other charges. Given the strong suspicion of criminal conduct and specific facts indicating a risk of repeated offenses that pose a significant danger to society, this Office determined that the grounds and necessity for detention were met. Accordingly, pursuant to Article 101-1, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure governing preventive detention, this Office filed a motion for detention with the Taiwan Kaohsiung District Court.

On the evening of May 28, 2026, after consuming narcotics, the defendant Hong operated a private passenger vehicle in Kaohsiung City's Qianzhen District, fell asleep at the wheel, and began driving against the flow of traffic. He collided with vehicles parked along the roadside, causing a member of the public seated on a motorcycle to suffer injuries, including rib fractures. Police administered a saliva drug screening test, and the defendant tested positive for methamphetamine, a Category II narcotic. He was immediately arrested at the scene and transferred to this Office. Following an interrogation by Prosecutor Chen Yen-cheng, this Office filed a motion for detention with the Court, which was subsequently granted.

This Office has consistently maintained a zero-tolerance policy toward narcotics use and impaired driving, whether drug- or alcohol-related. This Office will not tolerate anyone who, after consuming narcotics, operates a motor vehicle on public roads in the false hope of escaping detection. We remind the public not to take chances or defy the law. This Office will fully implement the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office's policy on combating drug-impaired driving and will rigorously prosecute such offenses to safeguard public traffic safety and maintain social order.