A confrontation between two groups of youths led to a wild car chase, shooting and then a double crash in which five people died and five others were injured in Bangkok's Rat Burana district early Friday morning, police said.
Photos by Kosol Nakachol
After receiving a report of the incident about 5am, the police sent to the scene found a wrecked pick-up truck and a badly damaged car. There were two bullet holes in the pick-up and two 9mm bullets were found inside the vehicle, police said.
New Krongthong, 20, a passenger in the pick-up, told the police that he and nine friends had gone to a well-known pub on Rama III road. A confrontation started when his friends and another group of people glared at each other before leaving the venue.
According to Mr New's testimony, the other group followed him and his friend in a car. When the two vehicles stopped at a red light, a person in the car opened fire at the pick-up.
Mr New said he and his friends drove off trying to escape, but the car continued chasing them and many shots were fired.
The pick-up later ploughed into a tree on Suk Sawat road and then also hit the pursuing car. Five people were flung from the pick-up and three of them died on the spot. Two others later died in hospital.
The five fatalities were all between 18 and 23 years old.
Mr New said he and his friends who survived the crash came out of the pick-up and saw five or six men getting out of the car, and two of them were armed.
He said the pick-up passengers then fled to the opposite side of the road. The men in the car were the same group they had met outside the pub.
The police said the two groups likely already had a quarrel before they met up at the pub.
Police said they will question the drivers and people involved in the incident further.