The driver that killed a baby elephant on Lampang-Chiang Mai Road in Lampang on Friday night was charged with reckless driving of a bus yesterday.
Police came to the crash site on Friday night to see a tour bus that had collided with an 8-year-old elephant on the street. The elephant was dead. The driver was injured but his 20 passengers were not hurt in the accident.
Krobkruakao also reported that someone stole the baby elephant’s 70 centimeter long left tusk sometime after the accident.
Bus driver, Narit Chittong, 45, was driving at dangerous speeds and was attempting to pass in the right lane when he hit the elephant, as the video shows.
The elephant, called Phlai Udom, was walking in a lane to the right that is specifically meant as a passage for elephants, reported Khaosod English.
According to police, the baby elephant died as soon as the bus hit him. The driver had both legs broken in the accident, which meant that he could not use the brakes, which is why the bus can be seen sliding 70 meters in the video footage. The driver also suffered minor injuries such as cuts and bruises.
Phlai Udom lived near the accident site at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center, his home for the last four years. The center let their charges roam nearby as part of their program to eventually release the elephants into the wild.
This particular elephant was often seen near the roadside and was friendly with the local traffic officers.
Elephants are hardly uncommon on this road. There are several large signs warning drivers to be aware that elephants cross the roadway.
Even on Friday night, officers knew the young elephant was out and about and were flashing lights alerting drivers to his presence.
A passenger on the bus claimed that he saw the elephant and told the driver to slow down but that the driver ignored him.
Officers said that the driver was not under the influence at the time of the accident and he will be fined between THB400-1,000 and have to pay the elephant center for their loss.
