The incident occurred at 3:30pm yesterday (Oct 27), when the two motorbikes sped through the Khao Lan intersection on Thepkrasattri Rd in Thalang and slammed into a pickup truck. (See story here.)
Despite initial reports, Capt Ekkasak Koanwan of the Thalang Police confirmed that no shooting took place and no guns were involved in the incident.
Instead, it the culprits were brandishing knives, he noted.
Capt Ekkasak said he arrived at the scene yesterday to find the pickup truck with impact damage to its left side.
On the ground beside it was a Phuket-registered blue Honda Wave motorbike with its rider, Surasak Inlaphat, 19, and his passenger Kratisada Philasook, 16, on the ground.
Nearby was a black GPX motorbike with one of the shock absorbers puncturing the petrol tank. Its rider, Nattakit Chuaikhaeng, 20, had suffered a broken leg and was soon taken to Phuket Provincial Hospital by Srisoonthorn rescue workers.
The driver of the pickup, Suwaree Chaiwet, 58, said he was driving from the Heroines Monument and had stopped at intersection to turn right, Capt Ekkachai said.
When the light turned green he proceeded, but the two motorbikes raced through their red light and hit the the pickup – and the two motorbike riders started threatening each other with knives, he added.
Both Nattakit and Surasak have now been charged with reckless driving, and all three have been charged with fighting in public, Capt Ekkasak confirmed.
Capt Ekkasak noted that the altercation flared up after one of the three men “misunderstood” how one of the others had looked at him.