Mitchell Boskov: Drug-crazed driver who killed young South Korean FIFO worker while fleeing police jailed

A drug-crazed driver who was fleeing police for the second night straight when he killed a young South Korean man in a crash in Forrestfield has been jailed for 12 years and six months. Junbo Shim, 22, had only recently moved to Perth to become a FIFO mine worker when Mitchell Boskov, 27, ran a red light and slammed into his Ford Falcon station wagon on June 25, 2025. Boskov had taken a cocktail of methamphetamine, GHB and alcohol, and was paranoid after not sleeping for three days. Police were already on the lookout for his unregistered Nissan Navara ute after abandoning the previous night’s pursuit, which became too dangerous when the father-of-three reached speeds of up to 150km/h on Tonkin Highway. In both chases he crossed onto the wrong side of the road, forcing other drivers to swerve to avoid being hit. Boskov reached 130km/h before tragedy struck when he sped through the intersection of Tonkin Highway and Hale Road. Supreme Court Justice Bruno Fiannaca said the ute, which had a roo bar, hit Mr Shim’s car with devastating force and caused both vehicles to spin, knocking down two traffic lights. One landed on a police vehicle, which was there poised to try to stop Boskov, who had his licence cancelled in 2021. He ran off down the highway and was chased by two officers, tussling with them before running off again. After he was captured and handcuffed, he behaved so erratically that police had to restrain his legs while he complained about rib pain and implored them to not let him die. Later in hospital, Boskov was still so out of control that he had to be sedated so he could be x-rayed. He was found to have no acute injuries. Mr Shim was declared dead at the scene, while his 30-year-old friend An-Shi Jung regained consciousness as first responders cut the roof off the Ford to extricate her from the passenger seat. She suffered a fractured collarbone, requiring the insertion of plates and screws. Justice Fiannaca said Boskov demonstrated an egregious and callous disregard for other road users, putting multiple lives at risk with persistent efforts to escape police — feeling “invincible” because he had succeeded the night before. His conduct was appalling, the judge said, noting CCTV showed the lights were red for seven seconds before he sped through. “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. Boskov will be eligible for parole after serving 10 years and six months. Upon release, he will be disqualified from holding a driver’s licence for a decade. Mr Shim was living in Kalamunda, and his mother, father and brother flew to Perth to bring him home.