KHON KAEN: The death of a woman motorcyclist knocked violently to the road by a fallen internet cable has left the family that depended on her destitute, and her partially paralysed husband talking about ending his life.
Representatives of several local agencies on Friday visited the family of 40-year-old Maneenate Charoenngao at Nong Hai village in tambon Phra Lap of Muang district.
Maneenate was killed when an overhead cable fell and wrapped around her neck on Lao Nadee Road on Wednesday evening. She was pulled violently off her motorcycle and died on the spot.
The visit followed reports about the hardship facing the family after the loss of its main income earner. Maneenate's husband suffers from partial paralysis and cannot walk unassisted, their youngest daughter is autistic and her parents are elderly and ailing.
Her sudden death leaves her eldest daughter, who has just completed vocational education and does temporary work, to carry the heavy burden.
The eldest daughter, Kanokwan Panyapim, told visiting officials on Friday that the death of her mother increased the stress on her father. He could not come to terms with the loss. He looked perpetually sad and kept saying he wanted his life to end as he did not want to be a burden on the family any more.
Falling Internet cable. (Photo by Chakkraphan Natanri)
This worried the family a lot, the 21-year-old woman said.
As her father could not walk, she and other relatives had to take turns in caring for him and arrange the funeral rites for her mother.
She thanked their lawyer, Woraphan Benjaworakul, for voluntarily providing legal assistance to the family.
Ms Woraphan said constant legal assistance would be provided to enable the family to sue those responsible, for both civil and criminal cases.
She was working closely with police handling the case in ensuring action is taken action against those involved.
Ms Woraphan said that according to the Provincial Electricity Authority, cables attached to power poles must provide a clearance 5.5 metres high when crossing over a road and 4.4 metres from the ground if on the roadside.
What caused the cable to fall was the main issue, Ms Woraphan said.
She and tambon chief Winai Thongthap led representatives from Khon Kaen provincial Red Cross, the provincial public health office and other agencies to visit the family.
Muang police chief Chamlong Suwalak said the investigation was progressing well. Police had so far interrogated four witnesses and gathered a lot of evidence.
This included information on the firm that owned the fallen Internet cable. The company had already contacted investigators, Pol Col Chamlong said.
The investigation was focused on two issues - whether the cable fell to the road due some damage or improper installation. or if someone or something caused it to fall.
They had examined footage from a camera that showed the incident, but it was not clear whether a 10-wheel truck travelling in the opposite direction had hit the black, overhead cable that fell to the road, Pol Col Chamlong said.
The truck driver would be called in for questioning, because a man sitting on the top of the truck was seen bending his head as if to avoid something, the Muang police chief.
Family members break into tears during the funeral rites for their loved one at a temple in Khon Kaen. (Photo by Chakkrapan Natanri)
The dead woman lived in this wooden house in Nong Hai village, Muang district of Khon Kaen, until knocked off her motorcycle and killed by a fallen internet cable on Wednesday. (Photo by Chakkraphan Natanri)
Forensic officers at the scne of the accident on Lao Nadee road on Friday. (Photo by Chakkraphan Natanri)
clip by Chakkrapan Natanri