A crowd control policeman has surrendered to police and admitted to driving a big bike that hit and killed a female doctor in Bangkok on Friday, according to media reports.
The woman was identified as Waraluck Supawatjariyakul, a doctor at Chulalongkorn Eye Centre at the Department of Ophthalmology in Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine.
The fatal accident occurred on Friday at 3.10pm. While Dr Waraluck was using the zebra crossing to walk across Phayathai road in front of Bhumirajanagarindra Kidney Institute Hospital, she was struck by a Ducati Monster big bike.
The doctor was seriously injured and admitted to Rajavithi Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
The big bike driver was initially reported to be a policeman who left the scene after the accident.
The accident was reported widely on across media, drawing comments from viewers and readers who called for the policeman to surrender and for eyewitnesses to provide information for police to catch him.
On Sunday, Pol Maj Gen Nakarin Sukonthawit, commander of the Protection and Crowd Control Division of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, identified the big bike driver as Pol L/Cpl Norawich Buadok, an officer under his command.
He said Pol L/Cpl Norawich had surrendered to Phayathai police.
Pol Maj Gen Nakarin said that from his conversation with his subordinate, Pol L/Cpl Norawich was heading for Victory Monument after picking up some documents at the Metropolitan Police headquarters.
He admitted he was driving fast and that after suddenly switching to the far right lane, he sped over the zebra crossing without noticing that other vehicles had stopped, and hit Dr Waraluck.
He was also injured and was admitted to Police General Hospital.
Pol L/Cpl Norawich was initially charged with reckless driving, causing death. He confessed to the charge and was released without bail.
Pending the completion of a report, an appointment was made for police investigators to hand him over to prosecutors on March 9 for indictment.
The big bike was sent to the Traffic Police Division for examination. The investigators were waiting for the result of the examination and the autopsy report on Dr Waraluck.
Both will be included in the evidence to be forwarded to prosecutors, Pol Maj Gen Nakarin said.
A funeral for Dr Waraluck is being held at Sala 3, Wat Phrasrimathat Mahavoraviharn, in Bang Khen district of the capital. The cremation has been scheduled for Jan 26.
