The driver of a Mercedes Benz involved in a car crash that killed three people early yesterday morning has been charged with driving under the influence causing deaths, police said.
Pol Lt Col Prasit Wirattayaporn, deputy superintendent for traffic control centre on expressways, said the alcohol test showed the driver, identified only as Jinthawat, had an alcohol reading above the legal limit of 50mg% but below 100mg%.
He said Mr Jinthawat, 33, has been initially charged with driving while being intoxicated causing deaths and police will have to wait for the result of the probe to determine if more charges would be pressed.
Mr Jinthawat was released on bail of 200,000 baht after questioning as police considered he was not a flight risk.
The crash was reported around 1am on an outbound lane of the second-stage expressway above the Saen Saeb canal in Bangkok's Hua Mak area.
Police and rescue workers found a Honda sedan with a Bangkok licence plate parked in the left lane with its rear badly damaged. The dead man and two women were identified as Somsak, 44, Atchara, 30, and Chawaporn, 30.
About 10 metres away was a Mercedes Benz with a Bangkok licence plate and the front badly damaged. Mr Jinthawat was waiting for police. He said the Honda switched lanes abruptly and even though he applied the brake, his car failed to stop in time and hit the Honda.
Media reports said he is an online sales coach and an executive at a company selling cosmetic products. He apologised to the families of the victims and said he would attend their funeral rites. Pol Lt Col Prasit said the victims' bodies were sent to Police General Hospital's forensic institute.