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Minivan Suicide: Mistress, Money Problems, And More Mysteries
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 17, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 17, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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More and more questions are being asked about the circumstances of Staten Island resident Hejin Han's suicide plunge in a minivan at Bear Mountain. Han's husband Victor, who watched as the van fell with their two young daughters in the back, had been charged with promoting suicide, two counts of reckless endangerment and two counts of endangering a child (both daughters managed to survive, as they were wearing their seatbelts). He was granted bail by a Rockland County jail, telling him, "I still have two children. I got to see this through." While Han told the police that Hejin implied she would commit suicide at Bear Mountain if they went there, now it turns out that Han may have had a mistress. State police questioned Tiana Yin, who met Han at one job and then went to work for the company he formed. According to The Journal News, Yin said, "He is frustrated in a way that his wife doesn't understand that he wants to establish and stabilize his business so that he can spend the time with kids."
The Staten Island Advance also offers financial problems as a reason for Han's distress, reporting, "Property records show that over the years, the Hans had taken out four mortgages, totaling about $640,000, on their duplex." There are also varying reports of Victor Han of being fired from the Department of Buildings are trying to poach business or Han leaving because he was "underappreciated."
The tragic death has surprised the Korean community in Queens. The youth pastor of the Korean Presbysterian Church in Flushing told the Daily News, "I don't believe he did this, because he was my Sunday school teacher. We have a long relationship with this man. He was one of our most devoted [members]." At any rate, the NY State Park Police said, "We have reason to believe that Mr. Han left his vehicle knowing that his wife was suicidal and that she had earlier threatened to harm herself and their two children." And now neighbors of the Hans are reacting to the news. One woman told the Advance, "I can't believe he did that to the children. If he wants to help her commit suicide, that's one thing, but take the children out of the car. Yesterday I felt sorry for the man, but today ... I think they should string him up on a pole."
The case will continue on Tuesday.
Image of Han's statement to the state park police from WNBC 4
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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