“The man in the pick-up truck was charged with reckless driving after he presented himself to police the next morning, yesterday (Dec 5),” said Maj Akkadej Pongprom of Phuket City Police.
The video clip of about 39 seconds was initially posted by Kusoldharm rescue volunteer Mr ‘Chukiat Ayuperm’, with the message, “Let’s help find him… The woman must be very troubled because she is injured and the motorbike was destroyed.
“The early morning of 5 December I was very disappointed with this man. I saw him walking out of the car and it seems he was drunk,” said the Facebook user.
The clip shows a pickup truck moving at high speed and slamming the motorbike, which was stopped at a red light, causing the motorbike driver and motorbike to go flying.
The pick-up truck driver then exits the car to check on the motorcyclist.
Maj Akkadej confirmed that the incident occurred at about 12:30am at an intersection near the Rassada electricity sub-station on Thepkrasattri Rd in the lane heading to Phuket Town.
“I arrived at the scene to find only a yellow and white Honda Click scooter, there was no injured persons. Rescue workers and I then searched various hospitals and found that the injured woman had been taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital by the pickup truck driver, but he was not at the hospital,” said police.
“When the pickup driver presented himself the next morning he said that he had taken the woman to Vachira Phuket Hospital, but than he left as he had to rush to go to work,” said Maj Akkadej.
“I do not remember his name, I am in a meeting now,” he added.
“He was not at the hospital so I could not test him for drunk driving. But he did not seem drunk when he presented himself, although that was at 6am,” said Maj Akkadej.
“The woman was discharged from hospital that morning. Her injuries are not too serious,” he added.
Additional reporting by Shela Riva.