60 year old truck driver with gun nabbed after 30km police pursuit
A tense standoff between two truck drivers ignited a 30-kilometre, multi-jurisdictional police chase that ended in the capture of a 60 year old man armed with a 9mm gun. The man claimed he had brandished his weapon in self-defence during the heated exchange yesterday.
Somchai Suksabay then fled with the gun and was eventually intercepted and detained near a house in the central province of Ang Thong, ending a protracted driver escapade that originated near the Pra Prom courthouse in Sing Buri province. The police were coordinating efforts between Sing Buri and Highway Police to apprehend the suspect driving a white Isuzu container truck, trailed by a Samut Prakan-registered trailer.
According to officers on the scene, Somchai was attempting to use a gun to intimidate the other truck driver involved before fleeing. The incident began when both drivers, reportedly carrying seasoning powder deliveries, were impeding each other on an inbound Bangkok motorway.
“I was delivering a shipment to Myanmar and was on my way back to my company in Chon Buri when the other driver and I began crossing each other’s paths. He swore at me and threatened to harm me, so I pulled out the gun I was carrying to defend myself, causing him to step back.”
Somchai’s counterpart in the altercation, 43 year old Somkid Morintara, told a similar but slightly different story. He said he was headed back to Sara Buri in an empty trailer when Somchai cut him off, reported KhaoSod.
“I had pulled over to confront him, but he pulled out a gun and threatened me. Scared for my life, I fled and reported the incident to the police. If he had fired the gun, things could’ve ended up worse.”
During a search of the trailer, officers discovered the gun concealed under a shoe pad on the driver’s side, while a magazine and rounds of ammunition were hidden beneath the passenger’s side seat. Also found was a piece of kratom leaf, a substance currently classified as a narcotic in Thailand. All the items were seized as evidence.
Deputy Superintendent Nikom Boongthong said that initially, the trailer had been moved to a Highway Police station in Ang Thong for inspection. As the investigation unfolds, Somchai is likely to face narcotics charges, though gun charges for the truck driver were not confirmed.
