BMW driver kills homeless man in hit-and-run in Bangkok

Thai police are searching for the driver of a BMW who killed a homeless man in a hit-and-run in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday.

At 11pm, officers from Bang Khun Thian Police Station received a report of a fatal car crash on the outbound Ekachai Road Soi 76 in Bangkok’s Bang Bon district.

Police found the body of 52 year old Boonsri Phunamdee lying dead in the far right lane of the road with wounds on his head, face and right hand. Bags containing his clothes and belongings were strewn across the road near his body.

A 60 year old eyewitness, Wirat Charoenjaratlert, said he was driving home with his daughter along the dimly lit Ekachai Road late last night.

Wirat said he slowed down when he saw Boonsri crossing the road with his belongings. Suddenly, a white BMW XI, Bangkok registration, came fast down the right lane and hit Boonsri. Wirat said two more cars drove over his body.

Wirat said the BMW driver drove off after the crash. Wirat said he has a dashcam so he decided to chase the BMW in hopes of catching his registration plate number.

After Wirat was confident he got close enough to catch the registration plate on camera, he returned to the scene of the accident to give his evidence to the police.

Police said they knew Boonsri was a homeless man from Kalasin province in northeast Thailand who was recently sleeping at a bus stop in the area.

Police haven’t yet identified the BMW driver but are using his car registration to track him down. He will be prosecuted according to the law, said police.

Last month, a road sweeper was killed in a hit-and-run in Bangkok. There was no CCTV footage and police were unable to track down the driver. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) gave 1.6 million baht in compensation to the road sweeper’s family.