Drunk Driver Kills Three in Nonthaburi Tuk-Tuk Crash
Three people died when a drunk BMW driver crashed head-on into a tuk-tuk in a Nonthaburi housing estate early Monday; the driver's blood alcohol level was more than three times Thailand's legal limit.
NONTHABURI — Three people were killed after a BMW allegedly driven by an intoxicated motorist crashed head-on into a tuk-tuk inside a housing estate in Bang Bua Thong district early Monday, police said.
The crash occurred at about 04:10 near Soi 12 in a residential estate in Sano Loi subdistrict. Police, rescue workers and a duty forensic doctor responded to the scene.
Two victims were pronounced dead at the scene: 82-year-old Lamai and the tuk-tuk driver, 37-year-old Prathumporn. Another passenger, 77-year-old Phattra, underwent CPR for about 30 minutes but was later pronounced dead at a hospital, bringing the death toll to three.
The tuk-tuk overturned and sustained severe front-end damage, while the black BMW came to rest after crashing into a tree. The 31-year-old BMW driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.
Relatives said the two elderly women regularly hired the same tuk-tuk to travel to Bang Bua Thong Market to sell goods.
The BMW driver told police he had been driving from the entrance of the housing estate and did not see the tuk-tuk before the collision.
A breathalyser test found his blood alcohol level at 152 mg per 100 ml of blood, more than three times Thailand's legal limit of 50 mg per 100 ml.
Police said preliminary findings indicate the tuk-tuk was emerging from Soi 12 as the BMW approached at high speed, resulting in a violent head-on collision.
Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage from the area to determine the circumstances of the crash. The BMW driver has been taken into custody and will face legal proceedings.
The victims' bodies have been sent to the Institute of Forensic Science for autopsy.
