Off-duty Thai cop hit by truck while aiding accident victims in Isaan

A 28 year old Thai police officer lost his life after being struck by a pickup truck on Saturday in the Isaan province of Loei while he was assisting victims of a car accident outside of his working hours.

The story of the deceased police officer, Police Corporal Patipan “Hernfa” Auttaboon, came to light after his friends and colleagues expressed their condolences on social media. Patipan died at Loei Hospital at about 3am on Saturday, August 17, a few hours after being admitted with severe injuries.

Patipan’s father, Police Captain Kitti Auttaboon, revealed in an interview with Matichon that Patipan was the eldest of three children. He always wanted Patipan to be a police officer, just like himself, and supported him in every way until he became an officer at Phu Ruea Police Station.

On the day of the incident, Patipan had finished his work and was on his way to spend time with friends. During his journey home, he encountered an accident on Loei-Chiang Khan Road and stopped to assist the victims. Concerned that the accident might cause further collisions, Patipan placed traffic cones around the scene to alert other motorists.

A pickup truck approached the accident scene at high speed and collided with Patipan. The police officer was seriously injured and rushed to the hospital. Unfortunately, Patipan succumbed to his injuries.

Matichon reported that the pickup driver issued an apology to Patipan’s family and attended his funeral, but discussions about compensation had not yet taken place.

Mueang Loei Police Station charged the pickup driver with reckless driving causing death. The penalty could be imprisonment for up to 10 years, a fine of up to 200,000 baht, or both, according to Section 291 of the Criminal Code.

In a similar case reported in April, a drunk taxi driver crashed into and killed a traffic police officer who was on duty on Phahonyothin Road in the Bang Khen district of Bangkok. The taxi driver admitted to drinking alcohol before driving but insisted he was not drunk.

However, the alcohol test revealed a blood alcohol level of 287 milligrammes per 100 millilitres, significantly higher than the legal limit of 50 milligrammes per cent.