Pattaya – At 8:06 PM on January 1st, 2025, the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Rescue Unit radio center in Pattaya received a report of a pickup truck driver losing control, crashing into a guardrail, overturning, and catching fire on Highway 36, the Chonburi-Rayong Bypass, at kilometer 8 + 200, heading towards Rayong.
Upon arriving at the scene, rescue workers and motorway rescue personnel found a bronze-silver Isuzu D-Max pickup truck severely damaged and on fire. They used chemical tanks to extinguish the flames at the wheel arches before the fire could spread further. Debris from the vehicle, including the rear axle, was scattered across the road.
The driver, a Korean national approximately 35-40 years old, was found in a disheveled state, speaking incoherently but uninjured. He was taken into custody by the highway police and motorway rescue workers. Inside the vehicle, authorities discovered a plastic bag containing cash.
According to Mr. Chaloem Sae Jang, 49, a witness, he and his wife noticed the suspect attacking an unidentified woman on the expressway in the Lat Krabang area. They stopped to help, but the suspect ran back to his car and sped away. Mr. Chaloem quickly notified the highway police.
Pol. Lt. Chiropas Nuansanthia, Deputy Chief of Investigation, revealed that the suspect had earlier while on foot bizarrely used a stick to chase and hit other vehicles at kilometer 24 on the motorway in the Lat Krabang section. Several victims were involved including the unidentified woman. When police arrived, they saw the struggle over the stick and the suspect fled again, with some victims even joining officers in the pursuit.
Despite a flat tire slowing him down, the suspect continued to drive recklessly, causing his vehicle to lose control and crash into a guardrail, overturning in the median strip. The suspect then crawled out of the wreckage and attempted to flee on foot, but officers managed to tackle and apprehend him after a foot chase spanning several hundred meters.
Pol. Lt. Singharoj Suebsong, Deputy Inspector of the Traffic Police Division 1, advised victims to file complaints at the police station where the incident occurred. The suspect is now in custody awaiting legal proceedings.