Psychiatric patient’s actions lead to fatal crash during transfer

A police officer lost his life while transferring a psychiatric patient to a hospital in the Isaan province of Loei after the patient grabbed the steering wheel of the vehicle causing it to crash. Three other police officers sustained injuries.

A motorist witnessed a police car overturned on the side of Ban Nongtana Road in the Pha Khao district of Loei province and reported the accident at Pha Khao Police Station.

All of the injured victims managed to exit the damaged vehicle safely, except for one officer who remained trapped and, tragically, did not survive. The deceased was identified as Police Captain Waeha Chaising.

According to the surviving police officers, the mother of a psychiatric patient sought police intervention when her son became uncontrollable around 12.30pm yesterday, April 21. Subsequently, four police officers responded by attending to the home of the psychiatric patient in the Nong Hin district of Loei to address the situation.

After effectively calming the patient, the officers proceeded to escort him to the hospital for additional treatment. They allowed the mentally ill individual to sit inside the police pickup without restraints, with his mother accompanying him.

Despite efforts to maintain a peaceful atmosphere, the situation took a tragic turn when the patient unexpectedly seized control of the steering wheel, causing the vehicle to veer off the road and overturn. Waeha, sitting next to the driver, was seriously injured and unable to get out of the car leading to his death.

Waeha was about to retire on September 30 of this year after serving in the crime suppression department of the Pha Khao Police Station. He intended to transition to standby duty within the police station rather than working outdoors following the conclusion of the Songkran Festival, in anticipation of his retirement.

Waeha’s family members, friends, and colleagues expressed their condolences on social media platforms.

Many Thai netizens expressed concerns about the safety protocols for officers handling mentally ill patients, while others raised questions about drug issues in Thailand, speculating about the patient’s potential history of drug use.