A 27-year-old driver has admitted to killing a City Hall street cleaner hit by a car while working shortly before dawn on Sunday, but claimed he was unaware he had hit someone until the next day.
Weerasak Ditataero, a fast-food restaurant employee, surrendered to Kannayao police station on Monday morning and confessed he had hit and killed Thaowan Tananchai, 50, while he was driving home in Lam Luk Ka district, Pathum Thani province, early on Sunday.
Mr Weerasak arrived in his damaged car which was delivered to police as evidence. The collision which killed Thaowan caused severe damage to the car’s left front windscreen, bonnet and headlight. Police said a piece of broken off, blood-stained blue bumper found at the accident scene on Sukhaphiban Road matched that of Mr Weerasak’s car.
Police charged him with careless driving causing death, hit-and-run, speeding, and drink driving.
Thaowan, the mother of a Mattayom 2 (Grade 8) student, started her shift at 4.30am cleaning the pavement and roadside at the mouth of Sukhaphiban Soi 5 in Sai Mai district.
About 5am, a car hit her and dragged her along the road for 30 metres, according to police. The car did not stop after the crash. Thaowan, who was wearing a Bangkok Metropolitan Administration uniform with reflective strips, died at the scene. She suffered severe head injuries and broken limbs.
Mr Weerasak allegedly told police he drank nine glasses of beer with friends at a beer bar in the Liab Tang Duan Ram Intra area from 8.30pm on Saturday to 1.30am the next day. After that, he went to a friend’s house at kilometre marker 5 on Ram Intra Road and stayed there without taking any alcoholic drink until 4am before driving home.
He allegedly claimed he was driving at less than 100 kilometres per hour and fell asleep while passing the area where Thaowan was sweeping the pavement. He reportedly said he did not know he had hit her at the time.
Bangkok Governor Asawin Kwanmuang and executives of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration have expressed their condolences to the family of Thaowan and pledged to take care of the funeral and other benefits.
Pol Gen Assawin said based on initial calculations City Hall would give Thaowan’s family a 1.6-million-baht aid package plus other benefits. The BMA would talk to Mr Weerasak about compensation for her family. Thaowan will be promoted posthumously as she was killed on duty.
Bangkok deputy governor Jakkrapan Piew-ngam urged all city cleaners to wear safety reflective vests at when working before dawn. They should also work in areas where there were people and lights when it was still dark.
“Car drivers must stay alert and vigilant. They must keep in mind that many people are working [on the streets],” he said.
Mr Jakkrapan said the BMA might consider introducing occupational risk premiums, in addition to current benefits, for its employees who had to work in a risky environment, given that Thaowan was not the first city cleaner killed by careless drivers.
A police investigator at Kannayao station said the suspect surrendered himself and admitted to all the charges. Mr Weerasak may be released without having to submit a bail request.