Phuket van driver arrested after running over victim and fleeing
Police arrested a van driver who escaped after hitting and running over a man in Sakhu, Thalang district, Phuket, on Tuesday, March 3.
CCTV footage of the Phuket hit-and-run circulated on Thai social media on the day of the incident. Several news agencies called on the driver to turn himself in and take responsibility for the injured Thai man, whose name has not been released.
In the video, a white van is seen running over the man before speeding away, leaving him lying on the road with serious injuries.
Shop workers reportedly tried to signal the driver to stop before the van reached the man, but were unable to warn him in time as the vehicle was travelling at high speed. The van was reportedly heading to Phuket International Airport to drop off foreign passengers.
Despite the case gaining widespread attention online, the driver did not turn himself in and did not contact the victim or the hospital.
Officers from Sakhu Police Station later tracked down the van and arrested the driver yesterday, March 4. Police have not released the suspect’s identity.
The driver told police he did not intend to evade responsibility but did not stop to check on the victim because he was rushing to take foreign passengers to the airport. He said he was concerned the passengers would complain if they were delayed.
The Phuket Times Facebook page reported that the victim remains in serious condition, with a fractured rib cage and a punctured lung.
Police have not disclosed the charge or penalty the driver may face. In similar cases, drivers can be charged under Section 300 of the Criminal Law for reckless conduct causing serious injury, which carries a penalty of up to three years in prison, a fine of up to 60,000 baht, or both.
In a separate case reported in Pattaya in January, a Chinese man drove over a friend in a hotel car park, killing him. The report said the victim was sitting outside the hotel, tying his shoelaces, and the driver did not see him while turning.
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