Comedian seeks justice after drunk driver blames him for accident

A Thai comedian is fighting for justice after a drunk driver allegedly blamed him for causing a car accident on the Ratchaphruek Road in Bangkok on March 21. The intoxicated woman allegedly tried to evade charges with help from a former senior soldier.

The comedian, 43 year old Prasert Prasertsunthon, known by his stage name Tummeng Terd Terng, recounted the accident to Channel 7 stating that he was driving his Hyundai H1 at night when he spotted a plastic barrier in the middle of the road.

To avoid it, he swerved and collided with a black Mercedes Benz CLS sedan. The Mercedes Benz driver, 53 year old woman, admitted to Prasert that she struck the barriers, causing it to obstruct traffic.

According to Prasert, officers from Taling Chan Police Station investigated the scene and accompanied the woman and him to a nearby hospital for an alcohol test. Prasert’s result was negative, while the woman’s blood alcohol content exceeded 198 milligrams percent.

They were summoned to the police station for further questioning on the next day and the woman admitted to her wrongdoing.

However, on May 7, Prasert was unexpectedly charged with reckless driving causing injury and property damage.

Prasert said this was unfair to him because the woman drove her car while she was drunk and she did admit to her fault. He believed the situation changed when a former senior soldier accompanied the woman to a second police interview on April 10.

The soldier allegedly pressured officers to reconsider Prasert’s role in the accident and search his vehicle for alcohol. Prasert suspected the soldier’s influence led to the charges against him instead of the woman.

As of now, neither Taling Chan Police nor the accused soldier have issued statements to clarify the matter.