A drug-fuelled driver who killed a young South Korean FIFO worker while fleeing police for a second consecutive night has been sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison. Mitchell Boskov, 27, was under the influence of a dangerous cocktail of methamphetamine, GHB, and alcohol when he ran a red light and slammed into Junbo Shim's vehicle in Forrestfield on June 25, 2025.
Fatal Crash Details and Police Pursuit
Junbo Shim, 22, had recently moved to Perth to begin work as a fly-in fly-out mine worker when his life was tragically cut short. Boskov, who had not slept for three days and was experiencing paranoia, was driving an unregistered Nissan Navara ute equipped with a roo bar. Police had been searching for his vehicle after abandoning a pursuit the previous night due to dangerous speeds reaching 150km/h on Tonkin Highway.
During both chases, Boskov crossed onto the wrong side of the road, forcing other drivers to swerve to avoid collisions. On the night of the fatal crash, he accelerated to 130km/h before speeding through the intersection of Tonkin Highway and Hale Road, where the lights had been red for seven seconds.
Devastating Impact and Aftermath
Supreme Court Justice Bruno Fiannaca described how Boskov's ute struck Mr Shim's Ford Falcon station wagon with devastating force, causing both vehicles to spin and knocking down two traffic lights. One light landed on a police vehicle that was positioned to attempt to stop Boskov, whose driver's licence had been cancelled in 2021.
Mr Shim was declared dead at the scene. His 30-year-old friend An-Shi Jung, who was in the passenger seat, regained consciousness as first responders cut the roof off the vehicle to extricate her. She suffered a fractured collarbone that required surgical intervention with plates and screws.
Boskov's Behavior and Arrest
After the crash, Boskov fled on foot down the highway and was chased by two police officers. He tussled with them before running off again. Once captured and handcuffed, he behaved so erratically that police had to restrain his legs while he complained of rib pain and begged them not to let him die.
At the hospital, Boskov remained so out of control that medical staff had to sedate him for X-rays, which revealed no acute injuries. Meanwhile, Mr Shim's devastated family flew from South Korea to Perth to bring his body home.
Court Sentencing and Judicial Remarks
Justice Fiannaca condemned Boskov's actions, stating he demonstrated "an egregious and callous disregard for other road users" and put multiple lives at risk with persistent efforts to escape police. The judge noted Boskov felt "invincible" after successfully evading capture the previous night.
"Your degree of recklessness was of a very high order," Justice Fiannaca said. "You did nothing to render assistance to the victims. It's a significant matter that you have cut short a young life ... that was never realised because of your offending."
Boskov pleaded guilty to charges including manslaughter, dangerous driving causing bodily harm in circumstances of aggravation, and failing to stop and ensure assistance after an incident occasioning death. He will be eligible for parole after serving 10 years and six months and will be disqualified from holding a driver's licence for ten years upon release.
Community Impact and Trauma
The court heard that first responders were traumatised by the confronting scene. Mr Shim, who was living in Kalamunda, had been building a new life in Western Australia when his future was abruptly ended. The case highlights the devastating consequences of drug-impaired driving and high-speed police pursuits on innocent victims and their families.
