Tractor tragedy: Cops plough through claims after addict’s mysterious death

The police maintained their innocence after a Thai drug addict mysteriously died following his arrest on Saturday. The incident occurred while the individual was driving a farm tractor along a road in Bangkok.

Patrol officers from Pathum Wan Police Station were involved in a car chase with 45 year old Thai man Bancha Samingkaew on Phetchaburi Road in the Bangkapi district of Bangkok at midnight on Saturday, September 7. The pursuit began after Bancha violated traffic laws by driving his shocking pink farm tractor on a public road and crashing it into other vehicles.

Some locals informed the police that Bancha was intoxicated and stole the tractor from a nearby construction site. More than ten motorists and residents attempted to assist the officers in restraining Bancha but were unsuccessful.

In a bid to slow down the suspect, police punctured the tractor’s tyres with their pistols. Bancha, however, did not surrender and continued driving with the punctured tyres until he reached Makkasan Airport Rail Link Station. The police then shot at the vehicle’s engine, finally bringing it to a halt.

Bancha exited the vehicle and attempted to flee but was eventually apprehended by the police and locals. Officers placed handcuffs on him to prevent further escape. During a search, they found nine methamphetamine tablets, commonly known as Yaba, and a packet of crystal meth in his possession.

Unfortunately, before being transported to the police station, Bancha lost consciousness. The police rushed him to a hospital, where he later died. It is suspected that he died from a drug overdose.

Unclear autopsy result

Bancha’s younger sister, 43 year old Arreerat Samingkaew, came forward seeking justice for her brother and the family. She suspects that police officers may have assaulted Bancha during his arrest. She added that the medical team was unable to provide the family with a definitive cause of death.

Arreerat demanded that the police officers involved in Bancha’s arrest, as well as hospital representatives, clarify the exact cause of his death. She stated that the family would accept it if Bancha died from an overdose but wanted transparency.

Arreerat also insisted that Bancha did not steal the tractor. According to her, he was driving his own tractor from their shared home in the Bang Nam Priao district of the central province of Chachoengsao to Bangkok to visit his wife and children, who reside in the Hua Mak district.

The Superintendent of Hua Mark Police Station, Pornthawee Songwong, who is overseeing the case, told ThaiRath that he did not receive any reports of an assault. However, he stated that he would order a review of security cameras in the area and summon locals involved in the arrest for questioning.

A rescuer who was present at the scene, 45 year old Surakiti Plengsa-nguan, told the media that he believed Bancha died from an overdose, as the symptoms he observed were consistent with other drug overdose cases he had witnessed.

According to Surakiti, Bancha urinated himself, had a blank stare, and showed a weak pulse. A rescue team performed CPR on him but his condition did not improve. He was then rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The rescuer insisted that he did not witness any physical assault on Bancha’s body. Police General Hospital would also conduct a thorough autopsy on Bancha’s body.