CHONBURI, Thailand – A horrifying accident late Wednesday night has left a family shattered and sparked widespread outrage online after a heavily intoxicated father crashed his pickup truck, killing his wife and 4-year-old daughter.
The crash occurred near a U-turn on Highway 331, at kilometer marker 32+500 in Khao Mai Kaew, Banglamung District, close to the Royal Forest Department.
When rescue teams and police arrived, they found a black Isuzu D-Max pickup truck with Chonburi plates crumpled in a roadside ditch. The driver, 38-year-old Kampanat, an employee at a Harley-Davidson dealership in Rayong, was found inside with head injuries and showing clear signs of intoxication.
Just meters from the wreck, responders discovered the lifeless bodies of his wife and their 4-year-old daughter, both apparently killed on impact. Their 6-year-old son survived but suffered multiple bruises and was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Eyewitness Accounts and Shocking Blood Alcohol Level
According to bystanders, the pickup lost control and slammed into the ditch with immense force. One van driver who stopped to help reported the driver was staggering and reeking of alcohol.
A breathalyzer test revealed Kampanat’s blood alcohol level was 160 mg%—well over the legal limit. He was immediately taken into custody by Huai Yai Police and now faces multiple charges, including reckless driving causing death.
The bodies of the deceased were transferred to Pattaya Pattamakhun Hospital, awaiting collection by family for religious rites.
Public Outrage and Grief
News of the crash prompted an outpouring of grief and anger online:
- “What kind of man lets his whole family die like this?”
- “Why didn’t the wife drive? Everyone could still be alive.”
- “Strange how the drunk driver always survives.”
- “He should never have been behind the wheel.”
A Preventable Tragedy
Police issued a stern warning about the deadly consequences of drunk driving, emphasizing that they will pursue the case to the full extent of the law.
This heart-wrenching incident stands as a grim reminder of the irreversible cost of driving under the influence — a split-second decision that has now left a young boy without a mother or sister, and a man facing the ruin of his own life.
