A fugitive who fled to South Korea following a 2005 crash that resulted in the death of a motorcyclist will be extradited to Orange County to face felony charges. Youn Bum Lee, 41, was arrested last December by South Korean officials on a warrant issued for the death of motorcyclist Ryan Dallas Cook. The US Justice Department and the FBI had been searching for Lee since the warrant was issued in 2007.
Lee was drinking with colleagues at a Korean restaurant in October 2005, and the group moved to a karaoke bar where more alcohol was consumed. Lee, a former Hyundai executive, climbed into a company issued black colored SUV around midnight and was involved in a single vehicle crash on the 55 Freeway in Santa Ana. The vehicle came to rest on a concrete barrier with no lights, and Cook, 23, slammed his motorcycle into the SUV and was then struck by other passing motorists. The next evening Lee was on a flight headed to Seoul, South Korea.
Cook
