Prosecutors will on Tuesday decide whether a police lance corporal who rode a Ducati superbike that struck down and killed a doctor at a zebra crossing on Jan 21 will be indicted.
Pol L/C Norawich Buadok has been charged with the death of Dr Waraluck Supawatjariyakul, of the Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University, at a pedestrian crossing on Phaya Thai Road in Bangkok’s Ratchathewi district.
On Monday, Prayoon Petkhun, deputy spokesman for the Office of the Attorney-General, said prosecutors will hold a press briefing on Tuesday to announce their decision on whether Pol L/C Norawich stands trial.
The policeman is required to be present during Tuesday’s briefing to hear the prosecutors’ decision, Mr Prayoon said.
The suspect is currently facing nine charges in connection with the Jan 21 incident.
Among them are driving recklessly causing death and violating the traffic law by riding a motorcycle without a licence plate.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda said many provinces have kicked off a campaign to improve safety at pedestrian crossings.
Initial campaigns will last until Friday, and reminders will take place on the 21st of every month to highlight the importance of safe pedestrian crossings and responsible motorists and in remembrance of Dr Waraluck.ad
The campaigns could differ in form from province to province. Some of them are organised to reflect local arts and cultures with an emphasis on speed limit enforcement around hospitals, schools and residential communities.
Others will involve repainting zebra crossings and making speed signs more eye-catching.
These campaigns were being organized to prevent a similar tragedy that saw Dr Waraluck knocked down and killed from happening again. Similar road accidents have left many other people permanently disabled, Mr Anupong said.
He said public awareness efforts were vital for accident prevention.
However, it was also important to direct authorities to swiftly enforce traffic laws and mete out the toughest punishments available against violators, he said.
At the same time, traffic discipline must also be instilled among road users, the minister added.
