CHONBURI, Thailand – On September 22nd, 2025, at 9:36 PM, a hit-and-run incident sparked a dramatic chase in Chonburi’s Bang Lamung district. Police Lieutenant Yuttana Phosidi, Deputy Inspector of Huay Yai Police Station, received a report of a vehicle collision on Chaipornwithee Road near the Tham Pratun Temple in the Khao Mai Kaew sub-district. Officers, along with patrol units and volunteer rescue teams, quickly rushed to the scene.
At the site, authorities found a bronze Ford Ranger driven by Mr. Uaychai Thapthim, a 44-year-old fruit vendor from Bo Win Market. The vehicle had sustained damage to the driver’s side and was parked on the roadside. The other vehicle involved, a black Isuzu D-Max pickup truck, fled the scene at high speed. Good Samaritans and police pursued the vehicle, which was later found abandoned in a cassava field over 3 kilometers from the crash site.
Mr. Uaychai told The Pattaya News that he was returning home from the market when the oncoming Isuzu D-Max, traveling at high speed, veered out of control, collided with his vehicle, and caused it to spin off the road. Fortunately, his quick maneuvering prevented serious injuries. Instead of stopping, the other driver accelerated away. Pursuers eventually spotted the Isuzu abandoned in a cassava field, its right front tire and wheel damaged, having scraped along the road, sparking dramatically as captured by CCTV footage. The sparks forced other drivers to swerve to avoid further collisions.
Police found no trace of the driver, who had fled on foot into the cassava field and has not been located as of press time. Lieutenant Yuttana documented the scene and CCTV evidence, seizing the abandoned Isuzu as evidence. Authorities are now working to track down the driver for legal action.
The dramatic escape has raised concerns among locals, who noted that the incident was a mere collision, yet the driver’s reckless flight suggests possible wrongdoing or illegal items in the vehicle. Residents have urged police to conduct a thorough investigation to uncover the motive behind the suspect’s actions.
Officers are continuing their search for the driver and have called for anyone with information to come forward as the investigation progresses.
