Dashcam exposes false account after Thai driver kills British woman in Nonthaburi
A Thai driver fatally struck a British national who was crossing a road in Nonthaburi province yesterday, December 3, before claiming the victim suddenly stopped walking in the middle of the road. Dashcam footage later circulated online contradicted her account.
Sai Noi Police Station officers were alerted to the fatal accident at around 1pm and rushed to the Bang Kruai-Sai Noi Road outside Areeya Village, accompanied by rescuers from the Ruamkatanyu Foundation.
The victim was identified as a 75 year old British woman named Suzanne Routledge. She lived in the Areeya Village with her husband. Her body was found on the right lane near the traffic island. She was dressed in a black T-shirt and brown shorts and suffered severe head and arm injuries.
A white Toyota Fortuner SUV with a damaged bumper was found parked five metres from her body. The driver, 39 year old Jarunan, told police she was travelling from Lam Luk Ka district in Pathum Thani to meet a friend at a local supermarket.
She claimed she saw Routledge crossing the road and assumed the foreign woman would reach the traffic island before her vehicle arrived. She insisted the victim suddenly stopped walking for no reason, leaving her unable to brake in time.
However, netizens strongly disagreed with her explanation after dashcam footage of the crash was shared online. The clip showed Routledge continuing to walk at a steady pace without stopping. Online users also criticised Jarunan for driving at high speed and failing to brake despite being close to the victim.
Police later brought Jarunan in for questioning at Sai Noi Police Station and charged her with reckless driving causing death. The offence carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to 200,000 baht under Section 219 of the Criminal Law.
The victim’s 67 year old husband attended the station to give his statement. He was described as heartbroken and kept his head down while speaking to officers.
Somsak Duangsono, Deputy Mayor of Sai Noi Subdistrict Municipality, said he knew the couple well, often travelling with them to support Nonthaburi’s football team.
After retirement, they moved to Thailand and lived in the country for eight years. They bought a house in Sai Noi five years ago and were known for cycling around the village each morning and greeting neighbours.
Just days before the accident, the couple told him they had booked accommodation in Pattaya for Christmas. Somsak said he never imagined such a tragedy would happen to them and offered to help arrange a Thai-style funeral ceremony for the British woman.
He added that the victim’s husband was devastated but was trying to accept the situation, saying that no amount of anger toward the driver would bring his wife back.
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