Thalang Police reported they were notified at about 5:30pm by the 191 emergency hotline of a man who was driving dangerously, braking heavily in order for other vehicles to run into the back of him.
The vehicle reported as being driven dangerously was described as a white Toyota Hilux pickup travelling northbound through Koh Kaew towards the Heroines Monument.
Capt Sumon Jitwirat of Thalang Police instructed traffic police on duty in the area to intercept the vehicle.
Officers at the Heroines Monument saw the white pickup and waved the driver to pull over. The driver ignored them, and instead turned the pickup around and sped off towards Phuket Town.
Lt Suthee Maneesing and other officers gave chase, finally catching up with the pickup at the U-turn in front of Wat Tha Reua.
However, by that time the driver had left the pickup in the middle of the road at the U-turn point. He had locked the doors and fled on a motorbike being driven by a passer-by, police reported.
Capt Sumon arrived at the scene and called for a tow truck to remove the pickup and have it taken back to Thalang Police Station.
While the tow truck was making its way past the Heroines Monument through very slow-moving traffic, the driver of the pickup ran out onto the road to prevent the tow truck from continuing its journey.
The man shouted they were not allowed to take his vehicle and that he would report it as stolen.
Lt Suthee, still on the case, approached the man and explained the law to him, and instructed the tow truck to pull over in front of the Robinson Lifestyle Thalang shopping mall.
The man then started to calm down, and finally admitted to the allegations against him, police said.
The man and the pickup were then escorted to Thalang Police Station, where the man was charged with reckless driving and parking a vehicle in a manner that obstructs traffic, police reported.
Police gave no further explanations for the man’s behaviour,l made no mention of testing for alcohol or drugs, and specifically did not name the man in their reports.