Bus driver in deadly crash charged with reckless driving

[webfact]

ACCIDENT
Bus driver in deadly crash charged with reckless driving

BANGKOK: -- Police on Tuesday charged the driver of the ill-fated bus packed with students that crashed into an 18-wheel truck last month, killing 16 passengers and injuring many others. The charge is reckless driving leading to death and injury to others.

Police quoted Sompong Saebe, 48, who surrendered to police on Monday, as claiming that he did not flee after the accident but suffered injuries and consulted a doctor for chest pain. He helped some injured students before going to see doctor, he said.

The suspect is currently detained in a Kabin Buri Provincial Court detention cell and police have objected to bail on the grounds that he is a flight risk.

After recovering from the chest pain, Sompong said he decided to surrender to police to fight the charges against him. He also insisted that the accident resulted from the brake malfunction, not reckless driving. He said that he would also be ordained as monk after the court case is completed to make merit for the deceased victims.

The bus, carrying 60 students and teachers from Ban Dong Lhob School on a field trip, collided with the truck on Asia Highway 304 (Kabin Buri-Nakhon Ratchasima) in Nadee district on February 28.

Viriyah Insurance’s Krabin Buri branch manager for compensations, Piya Chuchuay, who was present during Sompong’s interrogation, said that the company would pay compensation to the victims of up to Bt350,000 for death and up to Bt300,000 for injury.


-- The Nation 2014-03-04

[Hobiecat]

Why is it the police have to wait for an accident to charge these drivers. If they'ed only get off there ass and charge all the rest of the idiot bus and mini van drivers.

[darrendsd]

Why is it the police have to wait for an accident to charge these drivers. If they'ed only get off there ass and charge all the rest of the idiot bus and mini van drivers.

Charge people before they have committed a crime? With what exactly?

Have you received a Darwin Award lately?

[cooked]

Charge them with driving like bloody idiots, which would mean the roads would empty pretty quickly.

[kmj]

Why is it the police have to wait for an accident to charge these drivers. If they'ed only get off there ass and charge all the rest of the idiot bus and mini van drivers.

Charge people before they have committed a crime? With what exactly?

Have you received a Darwin Award lately?

do you understand what the Darwin award is?

Edited March 4, 2014 by kmj

[neverdie]

only here at TV could a thread as simple as this one start off with a brawl over Darwinism !

seriously, where do they recruit the members from these days ?

[ginjag]

A mountain/forest doctor ???? Did he make an appointment ??? he tended to the injured before battling through the undergrowth to get, sorry to attend a clinic ??

If the pain was so bad he would have waited until medics arrived.

I'm sorry but this B/S### story I don't buy.---Judge Judy said he was a liar, and I would agree.

[Why ask]

Some huge new Policeman's house on order from local architects in Kabin Buri province now.

Edited March 4, 2014 by Why ask

[Hobiecat]

Why is it the police have to wait for an accident to charge these drivers. If they'ed only get off there ass and charge all the rest of the idiot bus and mini van drivers.

Charge people before they have committed a crime? With what exactly?

Have you received a Darwin Award lately?

Mate if you haven't seen any idiot bus or mini van drivers who need to be charged with reckless driving on the roads here in Thailand, I suggest you visit an optometrist.

I believe the Darwin award is an Ozzie thing.

[darrendsd]

Been in a minibus from Bangkok to Hua Hin today actually, I did think of asking the Police to charge the driver with something but as he didn't actually do anything wrong it was difficult

I think what you mean is they need to be trained better, you can't charge somebody before they have committed a crime but yes the bus drivers here do need better driving training

[orchidlady]

How about the company that hired him without proper bus driving permit...no responsibility (as in charges) for them?

[ratcatcher]

Why is it the police have to wait for an accident to charge these drivers. If they'ed only get off there ass and charge all the rest of the idiot bus and mini van drivers.

Charge people before they have committed a crime? With what exactly?

Have you received a Darwin Award lately?

Mate if you haven't seen any idiot bus or mini van drivers who need to be charged with reckless driving on the roads here in Thailand, I suggest you visit an optometrist.

I believe the Darwin award is an Ozzie thing.

Quite right Hobiecat. In Darwin there's an annual Indigenous music awards for digeridoo and clapstick performances and beer can regatta winners.

[Gunna]

Why is it the police have to wait for an accident to charge these drivers. If they'ed only get off there ass and charge all the rest of the idiot bus and mini van drivers.

Charge people before they have committed a crime? With what exactly?

Have you received a Darwin Award lately?

Maybe you didn't realise that you can be arrested for a driving violation without being in an accident, ie driving like an idiot..

Darwin Awards are usually given to dead people. ie people who kill themselves do stupid things which follows Darwin's theory of Evolution that hopefully the low IQ ones will kill themselves before they get to breed.ie awarded post humously

So as Hobiecat can write and therefore is alive, I don't think he can receive a Darwin award,

[nkg]

Why is it the police have to wait for an accident to charge these drivers. If they'ed only get off there ass and charge all the rest of the idiot bus and mini van drivers.

Charge people before they have committed a crime? With what exactly?

Have you received a Darwin Award lately?

What crime could these innocent drivers be charged with? Driving drunk, driving while high, driving without a license, driving an unroadworthy vehicle .......

Only two ways to catch them.

1) Set up a police checkpoint and run proper tests

2) Wait for a fatal accident

Are you in favor of waiting for accident deaths?

[moe666]

Why is it the police have to wait for an accident to charge these drivers. If they'ed only get off there ass and charge all the rest of the idiot bus and mini van drivers.

Charge people before they have committed a crime? With what exactly?

Have you received a Darwin Award lately?

Mate if you haven't seen any idiot bus or mini van drivers who need to be charged with reckless driving on the roads here in Thailand, I suggest you visit an optometrist.

I believe the Darwin award is an Ozzie thing.

You have to do something so stupid that it kills you to get the Darwin award, you have to DIE there are a few here who always spout it but do not really know about the full award.

[moe666]

Some huge new Policeman's house on order from local architects in Kabin Buri province now.

Why would that be.

[LivinginKata]

offensive posts removed.

[darrendsd]

Why is it the police have to wait for an accident to charge these drivers. If they'ed only get off there ass and charge all the rest of the idiot bus and mini van drivers.

Charge people before they have committed a crime? With what exactly?

Have you received a Darwin Award lately?

Maybe you didn't realise that you can be arrested for a driving violation without being in an accident, ie driving like an idiot..

Darwin Awards are usually given to dead people. ie people who kill themselves do stupid things which follows Darwin's theory of Evolution that hopefully the low IQ ones will kill themselves before they get to breed.ie awarded post humously

So as Hobiecat can write and therefore is alive, I don't think he can receive a Darwin award,

Yes but again you would need to make a violation BEFORE you could be arrested which was exactly my point in my first post

[Spalpeen]

Making 80kph limiters mandatory on all trucks and buses here would slash the death toll overnight. It would even cut fuel bills. But yes, I know that's never going to happen.

[Why ask]

Some huge new Policeman's house on order from local architects in Kabin Buri province now.

Why would that be.

I think I'll leave you to sort out the why. However, a hint; wreckless driving leading to 15 deaths, after long discussions with the police chief, is not exactly a charge of manslaughter is it? In this country that is!

[darrendsd]

Some huge new Policeman's house on order from local architects in Kabin Buri province now.

Why would that be.

I think I'll leave you to sort out the why. However, a hint; wreckless driving leading to 15 deaths, after long discussions with the police chief, is not exactly a charge of manslaughter is it? In this country that is!

These bus drivers must make some really good money if they can afford to build "huge new houses"

So far on this thread TV members have convicted the driver without anyone on here actually knowing the facts or hearing any evidence but there again he has already paid the Police off to get a lesser charge, again there is no evidence to support this claim

Thai Visa at it's very best

Edited March 4, 2014 by darrendsd

[nkg]

So far on this thread TV members have convicted the driver without anyone on here actually knowing the facts or hearing any evidence but there again he has already paid the Police off to get a lesser charge, again there is no evidence to support this claim

Thai Visa at it's very best

The bus driver killed 15 people, and fled the scene, hiding out for 3 days before handing himself in. He did not have a license.

Those are some of the most important facts. Can you think of any new facts which could somehow make the driver seem innocent?

We have enough madness on the roads of Thailand without trying to imagine excuses for someone who killed 15 - in a bus he should never have been driving.

Edited March 4, 2014 by nkg

[noitom]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

How about the company that hired him without proper bus driving permit...no responsibility (as in charges) for them?

Yes sir. Thai companies are rarely if ever charged with anything. Most Thai drivers of any kind are freelancers. They show up on call. Drunk or sober, no regulations, no checking, no training. They get behind the wheel and off they go.

[oops]

I said this before and I will say it again. The only way to stop this is to charge the owners of the company with manslaughter.

They hired an illegal driver knowing he wasn't qualified to drive. This company should be investigated which hasn't even been mentioned at all, nor have they even questioned the owners as to why they would hire someone without a license....but I am sure it's just a mistake, they will have a license for him as soon as kho san road opens.

Second they driver needs to be charged with reckless driving with intent to harm, then he needs to be charged with manslaughter jus as the owners of the company should be charged.

Then the police need to be investigated for not having an on going knowledge of every transportation company out there. ie accident records, illegal drivers, unsafe buses. Basically every bus should have a safety record along with a trip record and maintenance record.

Until at least 2 of these things happen we will see buses falling from grace on a regular basis. I just hope the one I ride today doesn't have the same fate.

Last, I think it is repulsive to hear the owners say.....Don't worry will give everyone money! 350,000? That wouldn't cover my pain. Nor would it cover my child potential wealth and here in Thailand that child's potential future should be worth something as it is a well know fact that they children contribute to the parents retirement fund.

[JoeThePoster]

He also insisted that the accident resulted from the brake malfunction.....

Yup, what else.

[selftaopath]

Why is it the police have to wait for an accident to charge these drivers. If they'ed only get off there ass and charge all the rest of the idiot bus and mini van drivers.

Wasn't it previously stated he had no LICENSE to operate a bus? He and the bus company ought to get sanctions i.e. jail. But maybe not in LOS (Lack of Sanctions).

Edited March 5, 2014 by selftaopath

[culicine]

Some huge new Policeman's house on order from local architects in Kabin Buri province now.

Why would that be.

I think I'll leave you to sort out the why. However, a hint; wreckless driving leading to 15 deaths, after long discussions with the police chief, is not exactly a charge of manslaughter is it? In this country that is!

I don't see the bus driver having enough wealth to buy himself out of this one...so no, there will not be any new house for the police chief.

[darrendsd]

So far on this thread TV members have convicted the driver without anyone on here actually knowing the facts or hearing any evidence but there again he has already paid the Police off to get a lesser charge, again there is no evidence to support this claim

Thai Visa at it's very best

The bus driver killed 15 people, and fled the scene, hiding out for 3 days before handing himself in. He did not have a license.

Those are some of the most important facts. Can you think of any new facts which could somehow make the driver seem innocent?

We have enough madness on the roads of Thailand without trying to imagine excuses for someone who killed 15 - in a bus he should never have been driving.

If you actually read and understood my post you will see that I am not defending the driver at all

[SOTIRIOS]

A mountain/forest doctor ???? Did he make an appointment ??? he tended to the injured before battling through the undergrowth to get, sorry to attend a clinic ??

If the pain was so bad he would have waited until medics arrived.

I'm sorry but this B/S### story I don't buy.---Judge Judy said he was a liar, and I would agree.

....possibly to sober up...or flush his system.....???

[Larry001]

Why is it the police have to wait for an accident to charge these drivers. If they'ed only get off there ass and charge all the rest of the idiot bus and mini van drivers.

Could not agree more. The "Mickey Mouse" "Keystone cops" this country employs is an embarrassment. A little bit of policing and decent penalties will reduce a good % of accidents. Provenin other countries who have dramatically reduced road tolls