Korat 'Death Bus' driver convicted, gets 4 years

By Jintamas Saksornchai, Staff Reporter

 

Krissana Jutacheun in police custody Thursday in March.

 

NAKHON RATCHASIMA — A court Wednesday convicted and sentenced the driver of a tour bus that crashed and killed 18 people in Nakhon Ratchasima province earlier this year.

 

Krissana Jutacheun, 45, was sentenced by the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Court to 8 years and 2 months in prison after the court returned guilty verdicts on several counts including driving while on methamphetamines and fleeing the accident. The court reduced his sentence to 4 years and 1 month on the grounds that he confessed.

 

Full Story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2018/11/14/korat-death-bus-driver-convicted-gets-4-years/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-11-14

4 years for killing 18 people but a possible 10 years for graffiti or smoking an e-cigarette - wow.

Bus driver gets four-year jail term over passenger deaths

By Kasem Chanathinart 
The Nation

 

 

A Thai bus driver, who reportedly drove under drug influence and crashed his company’s chartered double-decker coach at a downhill curve in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Wang Nam Khieo district on March 22 resulting in 18 passenger deaths and 32 injuries, has been sentenced to a four-year-and-one-month jail term and his driver’s licence permanently revoked.

 

The Nakhon Ratchasima Court read a primary court verdict on Wednesday, to jail the 45-year-old bus driver Krissana Juthacheun – who fled the crash scene, was re-captured on the same day in the northeastern province and tested positive for metamphetamine use. 

 

The court trial found Krissana – who has been in detention at the provincial prison since his arrest – as a repeated drug use offender and for driving under a substance's influence (DUI) in various occasions in Amnat Charoen, Nakhon Ratchasima and Khon Kaen since 2002. In 2011, he was forced to undergo a drug rehabilitation program when he broke probation for a drug-use offence and his latest DUI offence on March 22 had led to many deaths and injuries.

 

The court found Krissana guilty of DUI resulting in dangers to others, reckless driving causing others’ deaths, and failing to aid the accident victims. They gave him a combined eight years and two months in prison before halving that sentence due to the defendant’s confession. The court also permanently revoke his driver's licence. Relatives of the accident victims reportedly were satisfied with the verdict and said they would not appeal.

 

The fateful bus was chartered for villagers from Muang Kalasin to visit the Chanthaburi beaches and it was on the way back to Kalasin when the horrific crash took place at “Makrudwan Curve”. The families of the deceased and injured victims from this crash were given insurance money and compensation totalling Bt24 million.

 

Nakhon Ratchasima Highway Office 10 official Jakkrit Boonreungsri said the curve on the Highway 304 (Nakhon Ratchasima-Kabin Buri) where the bus had crashed has seen as many as 30,000 vehicles passing though it (35 per cent of which were cargo trucks) and often had accidents. The authority would divide the lanes with a 1.2-metre-tall road division concrete barrier and reduce the signed speed limit to under 60 kilometres per hour. They would also install other speed control equipment and add more lights as to prevent future accidents.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30358550

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-11-14

Hey, its not like he was collecting dead coral or mushrooms, give him a brake.

1 hour ago, Phuketshrew said:

4 years for killing 18 people but a possible 10 years for graffiti or smoking an e-cigarette - wow.

The fateful bus was chartered for villagers from Muang Kalasin to visit the Chanthaburi beaches and it was on the way back to Kalasin when the horrific crash took place at “Makrudwan Curve”. The families of the deceased and injured victims from this crash were given insurance money and compensation totalling Bt24 million.

 

 

And there you have your answer. Merely minions in the scheme of things and not overly important.

Was the bus company ever prosecuted for employing a meth head?..... it’s sick.

He’ll probabiy be back behind the wheel in a couple of years. 

15 minutes ago, lemonjelly said:

Was the bus company ever prosecuted for employing a meth head?..... it’s sick.

Then you'd have to go after the government authority that 'certifies' these buses for use and the government entity that 'regulates' the bus builders that make each one from scratch out of wood, aluminium with recycled chassis, engines and running gear. Then there's the government agency that 'inspects' the bus factories and finally the 'police' that don't enforce speed limits and don't make any meaningful effort to cull the drink/drug drivers.

 

Drivers are low-hanging fruit, always have been. That's why they run away.

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The court trial found Krissana – who has been in detention at the provincial prison since his arrest – as a repeated drug use offender and for driving under a substance's influence (DUI) in various occasions in Amnat Charoen, Nakhon Ratchasima and Khon Kaen since 2002. In 2011, he was forced to undergo a drug rehabilitation program when he broke probation for a drug-use offence and his latest DUI offence on March 22 had led to many deaths and injuries.

How on this earth did this guy get a licence to drive a tour bus, and who in the company employed him.......I am of course assuming he had a licence.........

I think you should have a minimum of 5 years, non-reducible - tacked on to any sentence where a driver runs away. Filthy stinking coward.

 

Look at his picture. I wouldn't even get on a bus, ticket prepaid or not, if I saw that face sitting behind the wheel. He is clearly messed up. As was proven time and again.

Disgusting. When are they going to get a Decent Law and Justice department that will give the right verdict for the right crime. Not just pick a number out of an hat like a lottery.

16 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

4 years for killing 18 people but a possible 10 years for graffiti or smoking an e-cigarette - wow.

Exactly, I would have doubled the original 8 years to 16 for fleeing the scene !!!

As you say a very un-comprehensible jail time system !!! 

He be back cruising the roads within 24 months..

21 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

4 years for killing 18 people but a possible 10 years for graffiti or smoking an e-cigarette - wow.

And up to 25 years for "lese majeste" comments!!

21 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

4 years for killing 18 people but a possible 10 years for graffiti or smoking an e-cigarette - wow.

Don't forget the 5 years for being nude in public while no one else was around

I wish there was a penalty for endlessly restating the same, witless observations on the shortcomings of the Thai legal system and the social and cultural mores of our hosts as well as the recommended punishments, all slathered in heaps of deep moral indignation.

 

This would be automatically doubled for any excessive use of exclamation marks.

 

...and doubled again if posted during the hours of darkness.

On 11/14/2018 at 8:00 PM, Phuketshrew said:

4 years for killing 18 people but a possible 10 years for graffiti or smoking an e-cigarette - wow.

 

Let me know if you hear of anyone ever getting 10 years for graffiti or smoking an e-cigarette. Possible punishments have no relation to reality in Thailand.