Body of Trang mayor found after car plunge

Body of Trang mayor found after car plunge

Rescuers go to the Andaman Sea coast where the body of Apichit Winothai, the mayor of the Trang municipality, was found on Thursday. (Photo by Methee Muangkaew)
Rescuers go to the Andaman Sea coast where the body of Apichit Winothai, the mayor of the Trang municipality, was found on Thursday. (Photo by Methee Muangkaew)

TRANG: The body of the mayor of the Trang municipality has been found on a shore, putting an end to a 15-hour search after his SUV fell into a canal.

An aerial search by a drone and paramotors located the body Apichit Winothai on the coast of the Andaman Sea with his face down. The area was about five kilometres from the Pakprom pier where his Mitsubishi Pajero plunged into Pakpron canal on Wednesday night.

The body was sent for an autopsy at Trang hospital on Thursday and his family took the body to Songklanagarind Hospital on Friday for another detailed examination.

The mayor and driver Sutthimeth Panysitthikorn were in the vehicle that plunged into Pakprom canal near the jetty after Apichit presided over the opening of a scout camp at Thetsaban 1 Sangkhawit School at Hat Samran district. A witness said he saw the car going at high speed into the waterway.

Pol Col Boriphant Borirak, the provincial forensic police chief, said no malfunction was detected in the Pajero, including in its transmission and brake systems. There was no evidence either that the car had been shot, he added.

The car was moved from the canal three hours after it went into the canal at 7.15pm on Wednesday. The driver was found dead behind the wheel.

Mr Apichit became the mayor in 2012. He was accused by the National Anti-Corruption Commission on Dec 18 of abusing authority in an alleged corruption case on the Chinese New Year celebration event in the municipality in February 2013.

Prosecutors have not decided whether they will pursue the case after it was forwarded to them.

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