Highways police under fire for causing road accident

Highways police under fire for causing road accident

Orawee Chuchuen's sedan was badly damaged when hit from behind by a petrol tanker during the accident in Ayutthaya province on Sunday. (Photos from the Facebook page of Orawee Choochuen)
Orawee Chuchuen's sedan was badly damaged when hit from behind by a petrol tanker during the accident in Ayutthaya province on Sunday. (Photos from the Facebook page of Orawee Choochuen)

Two highways policemen have been bombarded with criticism for allegedly failing to exercise due care and causing a traffic accident in which two people received minor injuries over the weekend.

The social media outcry erupted after Orawee Choochuen, 27, a musician, posted a video clip on Jan 28 of a crash that involved three vehicles, and demanded to know if two highway police should be held responsible for the collisions.

In the clip, a highway policeman is seen in the middle of the road signalling for a 10-wheel truck which was following her car to stop. Her car then crashed into the rear of the vehicle in front.

She explained that her car was hit in the rear by the truck, which failed to brake while her car was slowing down, the 10-wheeler driver apparently distracted by the police.

"We've seen the doctors and we are now at a police station. But police here say it isn't their fault. They were doing their job. How am I supposed to feel about this?" she wrote.

The clip was shared widely on social media and drew heavy criticism of the highways policemen whose action seemed to have placed motorists in danger.

In an update posted on Monday morning, the musician said the truck driver was charged with reckless driving causing an accident and injuries to others. The driver was also fined 400 baht.

The case was handled by Bang Pa-in police in Chiang Rak Noi sub-district.

The musician asked why the police left out "the cause of the accident" in their report and said the police insisted that it was not needed.

Kerdpol Kaewkerd, a lawyer, said on Monday the musician could hold the highways police liable because they failed to take into consideration the safety of motorists when doing their job.

Pol Maj Khunkhao Phosuwan, inspector of Highways Police 1 station in Ayutthaya, said the two officers had been told to report to the Highways Police Division about the incident.

Rescue workers and highways police attend to the injured after the crash in Ayutthaya province on Sunday. (Photo and video from the Facebook page of Orawee Choochuen)

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