Hit-and-Run, Elderly Man Killed and Dragged Over 10 Kilometres by Pickup Truck

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture from responders.

 

In a horrifying hit-and-run accident, an 87-year-old man was struck and killed by a pickup truck in Ratchaburi Province, with his body dragged over 10 kilometres before being abandoned by the driver. The incident has left the victim's family and community in deep shock and outrage.

 

At around 06:30 on December 15, Police Lieutenant Polanchai Chaiyana of the Photharam Police Station received a report of a dead body found along a road near a railway underpass in Soi Chet Samian 35, Photharam District. The victim was identified as Mr. Boonchu, a resident of Nong Klang Na Subdistrict.

 

The investigation revealed that Mr. Boonchu had been sweeping the front of his house, as he did daily, before crossing the road to dispose of garbage. While crossing, he was hit by a silver Isuzu pickup truck, which fled the scene with his body lodged under the vehicle. The victim's relatives, who witnessed the collision, attempted to chase the truck and alerted rescue teams to follow its trail.

 

Following a trail of engine oil and blood along the road, authorities eventually located the victim's body approximately 10 kilometres from the initial collision site. The body was abandoned on the roadside, while the vehicle continued to flee.

 

The suspect's vehicle was later found abandoned in front of Wat Muang Temple in Thachumphon Subdistrict. The driver, identified as Mr. Paeng, 61, from Nakhon Ratchasima Province, admitted to being behind the wheel. He claimed that he had panicked after the collision and fled the scene.

 

The truck showed clear signs of damage from the crash. Mr. Paeng stated that he was on his way home from a market when the crash occurred. He has been taken into custody for further questioning.

 

Medical examiners reported severe injuries to the victim, including a large head wound, nearly severed left arm, and abrasions on his body caused by being dragged along the road. The wounds were so severe that parts of the victim's body were reduced to exposed bone.

 

The victim's granddaughter, Ms. Aparn, expressed deep grief and anger, criticising the driver for fleeing the scene instead of stopping to provide assistance. "Even if it was an accident, he should have stopped. If he had a conscience, my grandfather might not have suffered so much. What if this happened to his own family? He should come to apologise for his actions," she said.

 

Ms. Aparn also noted that the victim had already crossed the road's centre line when the truck, reportedly traveling at around 80 km/h, hit him. She described the crash as avoidable, given the narrow and winding nature of the road.

 

Police are continuing their investigation, while the victim's body has been returned to his family.

 

-- 2024-12-16