Australian driver crashes into Nong Prue drugstore after drinking

An Australian man driving a pickup truck crashed into a drugstore at 4.30am this morning in Nong Prue, near Pattaya, resulting in significant damage.

Police Lieutenant Apinan Srithongrungthip, Deputy Inspector (Investigation) of the Bang Lamung Police Station, reported that the incident took place in front of the Sukun Piem drugstore on Soi Khao Talo.

Officers arrived at the scene to find a black Ford Ranger with Chon Buri licence plates that had crashed into a local drugstore. The vehicle then veered into a nearby hotel building and collided with a parked sedan. The front of the truck was severely damaged, with broken wheels. The driver, identified as Pilarinos, an Australian, sustained minor injuries. His girlfriend, who was also in the vehicle, was unharmed.

Initially, the girlfriend claimed responsibility for the accident, asserting that her lack of driving experience led to the crash. However, a witness and photos taken by bystanders confirmed that she was not driving. Confronted with this evidence, she admitted that Pilarinos was the driver. She also acknowledged that they had been drinking alcohol prior to the accident, according to Pol. Lt. Apinan.

Police escorted Pilarinos for an alcohol test and will review CCTV footage to determine the exact cause of the incident. Legal charges and financial liability will be considered based on the investigation’s findings.

Pilarinos did not speak directly to the Thai media, and no reasons were given for why his girlfriend initially attempted to claim she had been driving, reported Pattaya News.

In related news, a speeding car crashed into a solar panel store in Pattaya on October 2, injuring two people. The driver attributed the accident to his lack of familiarity with the road. Nong Prue police received the report at 3.06am about the crash at the intersection of Jomtien Second Road, Nong Prue subdistrict, in the Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri province.