Motorcyclist Left Half-Paralyzed After Hitting Escaped Cow
A motorcyclist in Lampun Province remains half-paralyzed after colliding with an escaped cow on a village road in April, with police directing his family to pursue a civil case rather than criminal charges against the negligent caretaker.
A 35-year-old motorcyclist was severely injured and is now half-paralyzed after hitting an escaped cow that ran onto the Hong Kong Muang-Techno Village Teacher Road in Muang District, Lampun Province, on April 17. His mother, Sompis, has filed a complaint, stating that after the accident she coordinated with police at the Nikum Industrial Police Station to arrange mediation with the cow's owner and seek compensation, but was told to file a civil case instead. She is seeking justice for her son, who remains paralyzed and has received no compensation.
Deputy Superintendent Natthawat Sunant of Nikum Industrial Police Station revealed that the cow's owner is Somphet from Chiang Mai, while Thamma was the caretaker on the day of the incident. Thamma had taken the cow to graze near the forest but neglected to control it, allowing it to escape and run across the road. Patthanpong, riding his motorcycle along the road, could not brake in time and collided with the cow with great force.
Police determined that while the caretaker was negligent in supervising the animal, leading to the accident, there was no evidence of intentional herding of the cow onto the road, so no criminal charges can be filed. Authorities have advised the victim to gather evidence and file a civil suit to recover medical and property damage costs from the cow's owner and caretaker.
