Alleged drunk driver
Thanitpong Theppawat (on phone) and his allegedly equally drunk
university student girlfriend stand by as police check the wrecked
vehicle.
Theerarak
Suthathiwong
One man died and another was injured when a drunk
driver lost control and crashed into pedestrians on Sukhumvit Road.
Tuu Rhienkhi, 63, suffered extensive fatal injuries
and died after being hit at 5.30 a.m. Aug. 18 by a Honda City driven by
27-year-old Thanitpong Theppawat. Banlue Namjaidee, 54, a monk from
Prachum Khongkha Temple out walking his dog, was also hit and suffered a
skull fracture and two broken legs. His dog also was seriously injured.
He was taken to Banglamung Hospital for treatment and
the dog, with a broken hip, to a veterinarian.
Police, who found Thanitpong and his equally drunk
university student girlfriend about 50 meters from the bodies, arrested
the driver on charges of drunk driving resulting in fatalities.
Investigators said Thantipong confessed to partying
in Pattaya and then driving home under the influence. The suspect said
the accident occurred after a motorbike cut him off and he lost control.
