Driver detained after fatally striking cyclist and discarding body due to poor visibility
A pickup driver has been detained following a harrowing incident where he fatally struck a cyclist and then discarded the body roadside. The suspect claimed the accident was unintentional and cited poor road lighting as a contributing factor.
The horrific incident occurred when 47 year old amateur cyclist Samnao (surname withheld) was struck by a vehicle while he was returning from his regular workout. The impact was so strong that it tore his bicycle into two pieces and caused him to be lodged in the front of the vehicle. The driver, later identified as Jirapong (surname withheld), then transported the deceased victim nearly 5 kilometres before discarding the body along the Kamphaeng Phet – Tha Ma Khue road.
The police were alerted when a suspicious vehicle, an Isuzu pickup with Rayong licence plate ผธ8367, was found affixed in a field today. The front of the vehicle bore clear signs of a collision, including damage to the bumper and windscreen.
As law enforcement was piecing together the shocking chain of events, Jirapong turned himself into Kamphaeng Phet police. He confessed to driving the vehicle that hit the cyclist and subsequently leaving the scene after leaving the body on the roadside, reported KhaoSod.
During questioning, he said that he was returning home in low visibility when his vehicle collided head-on with the bicycle. The cyclist was flung onto the bonnet of his car, and in a panic, he drove off. Nearing his home, he gently removed the body from his vehicle and left it by the roadside before fleeing the scene. He later parked his vehicle in a field before making a phone call to his village leader to confess the hit-and-run incident. He planned to turn himself in the following morning.
He further explained that there was a coin knife in the back of his truck that might have fallen during the incident. He insisted he had no intention of running over the cyclist, and that his actions after the accident were borne out of fear rather than malice. His lack of decision to remain at the scene or take the victim to the hospital was a knee-jerk reaction, which he now regretted.
The police are continuing to gather evidence and question witnesses regarding the two separate events before pressing official charges. The case remains under active investigation.
