Thai couple killed in drink driving incident in Bangkok
A Thai couple selling food on a footpath along Rama 3 Road in Bangkok were killed yesterday in a drink driving incident. The drunk driver was caught by residents while trying to flee the scene.
The two deaths happened in front of a food court named I SEE SEE on Rama 3 Road at about 5pm yesterday. The couple who died were reported to be a 52 year old woman, Rampueng Suerkrajang, and a 51 year old man, Visut Toma. They had been selling Thai-style grilled pork skewers in front of the food court for 20 years until the accident took away their lives yesterday.
Security cameras showed a black SUV Ford Everest crash directly into the couple’s food cart. The SUV driver was reported to be a 60 year old man, Nawachart Ratniyom, who was travelling home with his wife, Nawachart. The married couple tried to flee the scene but were stopped by residents.
Angry residents tried to attack the driver because he refused to take an alcohol test. But police quickly arrived on the scene to control the angry mob. Nawachart took a test later which tested positive for alcohol. The level recorded was at 170 milligrams, way over the 50 milligram limit.
He later confessed that he drank one bottle of alcohol before driving but says he wasn’t drunk. He drove the car from the Bang Khlo sub-district in the Bang Kho Laem district of Bangkok, which is about 10 kilometres from the scene of the accident.
He insisted that the accident happened because he fell asleep. He said he would like to say sorry to the victims’ relatives and promised to take responsibility for what he had done.
The man was imprisoned at the Bangkok South Civil Court this morning. Officers from Bang Pong Pang Police Station, who are responsible for the area where the accident happened, reported to the media that the driver was charged with driving recklessly causing death and damage to the assets of others.
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