The fugitive driver of a transport van that crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer in Samut Prakan on Jan. 6, killing six people, turned himself in to police yesterday Jan 9.
Somboon Thansa-ard, 39, was presented to the press yesterday by Highway Police 8.
Witnesses said that the Mor Chit Bus Terminal-Chachoengsao van was traveling at “great speed” on the Bangkok-Chonburi Motorway when it smashed into the back of a tractor-trailer driven by 64-year-old Wasin Chaiprasit, The Nation reported.
Somboon was wanted for reckless driving causing death, injury and property damage, and for fleeing the scene without helping victims, police said.
Somboon told police that he dozed off at the wheel while driving in the left lane when he awoke to see the van careering toward the tractor-trailer and he was unable to stop in time. Of the 13 Chachoengsao-bound passengers, six were killed and seven were injured.
Somboon said, noting that transport drivers had been working hard since the end of the New Year holidays, that he helped some of the injured before rescue workers arrived, but was so “shocked” that he fled to his girlfriend’s house two kilometers away.
He also issued a caveat to fellow drivers about driving without enough rest. He said that he thought himself up to the task of driving, but had slept for only three or four hours the night before due to a fight over the phone with his girlfriend.
However, The Nation reports that an informed source said that Somboon’s colleagues alleged that he didn’t get enough sleep the night before the accident because he was out gambling.
As part of his apology to family members of the deceased, Somboon said that – if possible – he wanted to be ordained as a monk for three months to make merit.
Police, deeming Somboon a flight risk, have requested he be held without bail as an investigation into the accident continues. Police are inspecting the vehicle to determine whether any mechanical failures may have played a role in the accident.
At a Senate meeting yesterday, Senator Jetn Sirathranont urged a crackdown on such passenger transport vans, calling for a maximum speed of 100km/hour. He added that most vans have extra fuel tanks installed in the rear, causing the front ends to lift, thus making them harder to control.
