Fatal drunk driving accident on Chalong Rat highway: Tyre burst blamed

A tragic accident on Bangkok’s Chalong Rat elevated highway saw a Nissan pick-up truck crashing into a Toyota Fortuner before slamming into a concrete divider. The grizzly turn of events led to the death of a 38 year old passenger. The pickup driver, an air conditioning technician around 50 to 55 years old, claimed a tyre burst caused the accident while results showed he was drunk with a blood alcohol level beyond 200 milligrams.

Around 10.30pm yesterday, local police and emergency response units were notified of an accident on the Chalong Rat highway. The incident took place from Rama 9 direction heading towards Ram Inthra, north of Central Eastville Shopping Mall in Lat Phrao district, Bangkok.

Rapid response teams, including highway police and paramedics from the police hospital, responded quickly to the reported accident and the alleged drunk driver.

Upon reaching the scene, they found a silver Nissan truck with a Bangkok registration damaged badly from the accident. The rear left wheel had exploded, and the bonnet was forcibly opened. The driver had sustained minor injuries, including a gash on his forehead and bruises along his arm, reported KhaoSod.

Meanwhile, his passenger Anat did not fare as well. His dead body was found outside the vehicle with severe injuries from head to abdomen. He had been thrown out of the vehicle and smashed headfirst into the edge of the bridge with great force. His skull was fractured.

The Toyota Fortuner also stopped at the scene of the accident, was almost unscathed. The vehicle showed minimal damage, with only the right headlight smashed.

The pickup driver, noticeably drunk, explained he and Anat had been returning from the Bangkok Hospital when the accident occurred. He estimated driving at a speed between 70 and 80 kilometres per hour when his left rear tyre burst near the accident site. This caused him to lose control of his vehicle, hit the Fortuner, and eventually crash into the bridge edge. It was revealed that the passenger window was open at the time.

On checking the truck, the police found two beer bottles and an empty whisky bottle. The driver was hurried away by the rescue services to Paolo Chokchai 4 Hospital for immediate treatment. Police promised a detailed interrogation after his recovery. Anat’s body, meanwhile, was transported to the Police General Hospital for a forensic examination before being released to his family for last rites.