Bus Driver Sentenced to 2 Years for Medical Student's Fatal Crash
A bus driver was sentenced to two years in prison for fatally striking medical student Arunnapha Watthanapanich on the Khon Kaen University campus in 2022. The victim's mother urged the case to serve as a warning about reckless driving's de
On August 6, 2025, the Khon Kaen Provincial Court delivered its judgment in the case of a nursing school bus that struck a motorcyclist on the Khon Kaen University campus in August 2022. The collision killed Arunnapha Watthanapanich, a second-year medical student. The driver was sentenced to four years in prison, reduced to two years on appeal without suspension.
Arunnapha's mother, Nittaya Rungsathit, said the family's four-year wait was not merely about securing justice, but ensuring the case becomes a cautionary tale for society. She emphasized that reckless driving causes suffering not just for victims but for perpetrators and their families as well. "If people feared consequences before acting recklessly, accidents would decrease. If my daughter's life helps prevent others from being injured or killed, then something good has come from this," she said.
The mother stressed that the family's goal was not revenge but prevention—to make drivers more aware and careful before tragedy strikes. She noted that accidents remain frequent because people focus on minimizing punishment after the fact rather than avoiding negligence in the first place.
In the related civil case, the appellate court ordered the defendant to pay approximately 9 million baht in damages to each parent. The defendant is currently petitioning for a further appeal, which the court has not yet formally accepted. The plaintiff's legal team indicated they are not filing additional appeals and are awaiting the court's next decision.
