Drug addiction confirmed as cause of the Pattaya accident

Drug addiction confirmed as cause of the Pattaya accident  (Video Clip)

Pattaya police have filed an additional charge of drug abuse against the driver of a pick-up truck who rammed his vehicle into a group of motorcyclists and pillion riders, resulting in two deaths and 15 injured in South Pattaya on Monday (Dec 4).

Pol Col Apichai Krobpetch, superintendent of Pattaya City police, said Tuesday that urine test of the 44-year-old driver, Mr Akaradet Udomrat, conducted by Banglamung hospital showed positive for methamphetamine use.

As such, drug abuse charge was filed against the driver, he said, adding however that additional test was required to determine whether the meth found in the urine came from drug abuse or from the medicines the driver took to treat his epileptic seizure.

Mr Akaradet’s urine sample will on Wednesday (Dec 6) be sent to the Royal Thai Police’s laboratory for further tests.

CCTV camera record showed that Mr Akaradet drove in the opposite direction of the traffic when the accident took place. He, however, claimed that he temporarily passed out due to epileptic seizure and didn’t know that his truck rammed into a group of motorcyclists and their pillion riders.

He was initially charged with reckless driving causing deaths and injuries to the other people and driving without regard to the safety of the other people. Source: Thai PBS