Drunk taxi driver crashes and kills traffic cop in Bangkok (video)
A drunk taxi driver crashed and killed a traffic police officer on Phahonyothin Road in the Bang Khen district of Bangkok on April 28.
The deputy traffic inspector from the Bang Khen Police Station, 54 year old police sub-lieutenant Autsada Jamniansi, lost his life while he was on duty directing traffic during a mini-marathon event on Phahonyothin Road. He was rushed to Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital but tragically succumbed to the severe injuries.
CCTV footage shows Autsada crossing the road when a green-yellow taxi crashed directly into him. Mini-marathon runners and a nearby rescue team attempted to aid him but medical workers were unable to save his life.
The taxi driver, identified as 45 year old Warabut Somsawaengwas found to be intoxicated with a blood alcohol level of 287 milligrammes. This level far exceeds Thailand’s legal limit of 50 milligrammes.
Warabut admitted to drinking before driving. He said he watched a football game and consumed alcohol with a friend at the friend’s home in the Huay Kwang district of Bangkok before heading home near the Bang Khen Roundabout.
Despite his high blood alcohol level, Warabut insisted that he was not drunk and clearly remembered the events of the crash. He claimed he tried to avoid hitting the officer but failed. However, security camera footage contradicts his statement, showing his car directly striking the victim.
Warabut faces charges of reckless driving causing death and operating public transport while intoxicated. The penalty is imprisonment for up to 10 years, a fine of up to 200,000 baht, or both, and Section
In a related report, another Thai traffic police officer, 39 year old Piyanan “Tar” Siseu, lost his life on duty. He was seriously injured when a Thai woman crashed her pickup into him on Highway No. 21 in the central province of Lop Buri on April 16.
Tar succumbed to his injuries on April 28 after nearly two weeks of treatment at Police General Hospital in Bangkok. The pickup driver, 27 year old Pornphet Pansomjai, tested negative for alcohol but was reportedly driving at high speed at the time of the incident.
