Top cop's son crashes Porsche into motorcycle, rider killed

Investigators examine the scene of the accident where a Porsche sports car struck a motorcycle near the Taksin Bridge in Bangkok early Saturday. (Photo: Nakhon 002, FM91 Trafficpro)
Investigators examine the scene of the accident where a Porsche sports car struck a motorcycle near the Taksin Bridge in Bangkok early Saturday. (Photo: Nakhon 002, FM91 Trafficpro)

A man was killed when a sports car driven by the son of a former deputy national police chief crashed into his motorcycle early Saturday, police said.

The Porsche Taycan Turbo S driven by Pornmet Songmetta, son of Pol Gen Wirachai Songmetta, crashed into the Yamaha Fino motorcycle driven by Pakistani Waseem Ahmad near the Taksin Bridge in Bangkok, around 1am, police said.

The 40-year-old motorcyclist later died at Taksin Hospital.

Mr Pornmet sustained head and face injuries from contact with the steering wheel.

Following his treatment, he reported to police and admitted that he had carelessly made a sudden lane change before the incident. Police were waiting for results of his alcohol blood test and medical examination.

Police were expected to charge him with reckless driving causing death.

Mr Pornmet, 29, is an executive of Absolute Clean Energy, a renewable energy company. His family are the major shareholders in the business. Forbes magazine estimated the net worth of Pol Gen Wirachai at US$585 million in November 2019.

Pol Gen Wirachai was to return to his post in October last year after a court overturned his firing a year earlier over the leak of a call.

In the call, former national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda is heard ordering Pol Gen Wirachai to steer clear of an investigation into a shooting that had targeted another high-profile police figure, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn.

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Vocabulary

  • carelessly (adv): not giving enough attention and thought to what you are doing, so that you make mistakes - อย่างไม่ระมัดระวัง, อย่างประมาท
  • fire: to make someone leave their job, sometimes as a punishment - ไล่ออก
  • leak: telling private or secret information to journalists or to the public - การเปิดเผยความลับ
  • overturn: to officially decide that a legal decision, etc. is not correct, and to make it no longer valid - ล้มล้าง
  • reckless: not thinking about the possible bad effects of your actions - สะเพร่า
  • steer clear of: to avoid; to stay away from - เลี่ยง
  • sustain: to experience, injury, damage, loss, etc. - ประสบกับ (ความสูญเสีย การเจ็บป่วย)
  • worth: having a value in money, etc - มีค่า, มีมูลค่า
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