“The medical examination results showed no alcohol at all,” Col Sarawut told reporters today (July 9), five days after the body of Phra Rungrote Padnguan was found in a roadside ditch not far from Wat Ladthiwanaram (Wat Tai), where he was practicing.
Police were called to the scene, on Chao Fa East Rd, near Land & Houses estate, at about 5:30am last Saturday.
One witness told police that Phra Rungrote was walking along the road collecting aims when a white saloon car hit him and sent him into the ditch. The car then sped away from the scene.
Police checked CCTV cameras in the area and questioned witnesses to identify and apprehend the driver, and by 4:10pm that afternoon Yanaphat Sakulboonphanit, 35, presented herself at the police station.
Ms Yanaphat also brought her Phuket-registered Honda Mobilio car with visible damage sustained in the collision.
Ms Yanaphat admitted that she was the person involved in the accident, but said that at that moment she believed she had hit a power pole, not a person, and thus did not stop at the scene.
She said she presented herself to police right after learning that she killed someone.
Lt Jaruwit Khuncharoen of the Chalong Police, tasked with handling the investigation into the death of Phra Rungrote, has already confirmed that Ms Yanaphat has been charged with reckless driving causing death or injury and fleeing the crime scene.
Col Sarawut today noted that the incident had spurred much interest from the public.
“This case is one that people are interested in, and this [the alcohol test results] is necessary to show that we are being fair to all parties,” Col Sarawut said.
However, yet to be explained is a CCTV image showing the car involved in the hit-and-run being parked by a roadside restaurant just south of Soi Palai at 5:53am last Saturday, before Phra Rungrote was struck and killed by the car.
Fascinated | 09 July 2020 - 19:14:02