FBI seeks extradition from Thailand for hit & run

Authorities in the US state of Michigan and the FBI are making a plea to the Thai government to extradite a Thai woman who is accused of causing the death of a college student in the American city of Oakland Township. The suspect, Tubtim “Sue” Howson, is a US citizen but is originally from Thailand and is now residing in Bangkok.

Ben Kable, a student at Michigan State University, died on New Year’s Day after being hit by a BMW 320i driven by Howson. According to court documents, Kable was home for holiday break when he was killed. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office says that Kable was on the road when he was hit. But whether he was walking across the street or just standing on the road when the accident occurred.

After the crash, Howson stopped the car briefly but then left the scene. Records show that she boarded a plane on January 3 and travelled to Bangkok through Dallas and Helsinki, Finland, using Finnair. The FBI believes that Howson fled to Thailand to avoid prosecution.

Sheriff Michael Bouchard of Oakland County has announced that his department is collaborating with the FBI to bring Howson back to the US. As Thailand has an existing extradition agreement with the US, this paves the way for Howson’s extradition.

“The person that we have as our suspect had fled the country before being identified as our suspect. As a result, we had to work very much behind the scenes with our partners from the FBI and the prosecutor’s office to get all the correct paperwork and warrants to seek international extradition from Thailand to hold the suspect to account. I call on the Thai government to extradite her so we can hold her accountable for her actions involving this young man’s tragic death.”

The FBI has an unsealed complaint stating that Howson allegedly told a close associate that she thought she had killed someone with her car as she was travelling to a grocery store for work. So she going back to Thailand. She refused to turn herself into the police and instead fled the country.

Ben Kable’s father, Mike, has expressed his disappointment and frustration with Howson’s alleged actions. A warrant has already been issued for Howson’s failure to stop at the scene of the crash, and there is probable cause to charge her for felony interstate flight to avoid prosecution. The Michigan authorities and FBI are urging the Thai government to comply with the extradition request and bring Howson to justice.