South Korean man causes chaos, steals pickup, and crashes it in Chon Buri
Police arrested a South Korean man who went on a rampage along the Bypass Road in Chon Buri province yesterday, January 1. The man reportedly damaged several vehicles, stole a Thai man’s car, and subsequently crashed it.
The Sawang Borribun Dhammastan Rescue Foundation was alerted to a car accident and fire on Highway 36, also known as the Chon Buri-Rayong Bypass Road. The incident occurred at around 8pm last night in the lane heading towards the eastern province of Rayong.
Upon arriving at the scene, rescuers discovered an overturned silver-bronze Isuzu D-Max pickup truck on the central traffic island. The vehicle was completely wrecked and had caught on fire. The rescue team managed to extinguish the fire and apprehended the driver, who was identified as a South Korean man aged between 35 and 40 years.
The South Korean man, who was standing outside the vehicle with minor injuries, was found carrying a plastic bag containing cash. He was unable to communicate with the rescue team and was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol.
It was later confirmed that the foreign man was not the owner of the damaged pickup truck. The truck belonged to a 49 year old Thai man, Jalom Saejang, who arrived at the scene with officers from the Highway Police Division.
Jalom revealed to Channel 7 that he and his wife noticed the South Korean man assaulting a woman on the roadside while they were driving along the Bypass Road. Jalom decided to stop and assist the woman and called highway police officers to the scene.
Almost slipped away
However, upon noticing the police, the South Korean man jumped into Jalom’s pickup truck and drove away. Jalom, along with police officers, pursued the man in a high-speed chase until he crashed the vehicle.
Highway police later revealed to the media that the South Korean man had been randomly hitting vehicles on the road with a wooden stick. When officers arrived, they saw the foreign man and Jalom struggling over the stick. The suspect managed to escape briefly before being apprehended.
As police await further reports from Jalom and other victims, the South Korean national is yet to be officially charged for his crimes.
Based on similar incidents, the South Korean man may face the following charges:
- Section 378 of the Criminal Code: Causing a public disturbance while intoxicated. This carries a penalty of a fine of up to 5,000 baht.
- Section 358 of the Criminal Code: Damaging another person’s property. This carries a penalty of six months to 10 years in prison and a fine ranging from 10,000 to 200,000 baht.
