A former top science student battling methamphetamine addiction has been arrested after stealing his former employer’s pickup truck and crashing into a motorcycle during a police chase in Ubon Ratchathani. The collision claimed the life of a 59-year-old mother and left her 27-year-old daughter critically injured. The impact also caused more than 500,000 baht in damage to a roadside flower shop and surrounding homes. The suspect later admitted to taking five methamphetamine pills before the incident.
Pol Lt Witthit Khunkhot of the Det Udom Police Station received the initial report of a pickup truck colliding with a motorcycle and crashing into a nearby business. When police and rescue teams arrived, they found a black Toyota Vigo overturned after striking a power pole. A pink Honda motorcycle nearby had sustained severe rear-end damage.
Two women were found injured at the scene. The rider, Mrs. Kongsri Srisuphan, 59, was transported to the district hospital but later passed away. Her daughter, Miss Saowalak Srisuphan, 27, suffered serious injuries and was rushed to Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital for emergency treatment.
Police detained the driver, identified as 18-year-old Mr. Sukkasem Srimongkol. Investigators later confirmed that the pickup truck had been stolen the day before from a car air-conditioning repair shop in Buntharik district, where Sukkasem had previously worked. CCTV from the shop clearly captured him driving the vehicle away.
The following morning, officers from the 191 patrol unit spotted the stolen pickup and attempted to follow it. Instead of stopping, Sukkasem accelerated, initiating a pursuit. During the chase, one of the truck’s tires burst, causing him to lose control and crash into the motorcycle carrying Mrs. Kongsri and her daughter. The force of the collision pushed the motorcycle down the road before the truck hit a streetlight pole and overturned into a flower shop.
At Det Udom Police Station, officers observed signs that Sukkasem was still under the influence of drugs, a suspicion later confirmed by a drug test. He was placed in a holding cell so officers could complete their investigation safely.
Later that day, Sukkasem’s mother, Mrs. La-ongdao, 54, visited the station. She became emotional upon learning the extent of her son’s actions and the likelihood of a long prison sentence. She explained that she suffers from cancer and that Sukkasem was the family’s main provider. She also claimed she did not know he had developed a drug problem.
Flower shop owner Miss Inthira Malasai, 23, said she saw police chasing the pickup just before hearing a loud noise that she believed was the tire bursting. Moments later, the truck crashed into her shop, heavily damaging the business. She noted that the driver appeared disoriented when officers apprehended him.
Miss Sukanya Suphap, 38, owner of the repair shop from which the pickup was stolen, said she had previously hired Sukkasem after learning about his academic abilities and difficult family situation. She expressed sadness that he had fallen into drug use over the past year, eventually abandoning his job before resurfacing through this tragic incident.
Police are preparing charges including vehicle theft, drug use, fleeing police, and causing a fatal accident. Further legal action will proceed once the victim’s daughter is stable enough to provide a formal statement.
