Banglamung-
A dramatic police pursuit on a major highway in Chonburi province ended in a violent crash on February 8th, 2026, when a driver suspected of carrying illegal drugs attempted to escape a routine check and lost control of his vehicle.
The incident took place around 1:00 p.m. on Highway 331 near the sugar factory intersection in the Huai Yai sub-district.
Pol. Col. Warawut Nityawan, superintendent of the Huai Yai Police Station, together with Pol. Lt. Col. Pacharuk Suriya, the traffic investigation officer, responded to reports of a suspicious sedan that had fled from highway police, resulting in the vehicle overturning after striking a tree, with the driver suffering severe injuries and becoming trapped inside.
At the scene, officers discovered a black Toyota Vios sedan with Rayong license plates lying upside down and severely damaged, with debris scattered across the road. The driver, a man believed to be between 40 and 50 years old, was wearing a red T-shirt and gray shorts, had a waist bag, and was still holding a lighter in his mouth while breathing weakly.
Rescue teams from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation in Pattaya used cutting tools to free the injured man from the wreckage and transported him to Wat Yannasangwararam Hospital for urgent medical care.
During a search of the vehicle, police recovered methamphetamine (ya ba) and crystal methamphetamine (ice) concealed in a small metal container, along with drug paraphernalia, partially unpacked bundles of drugs, and numerous small plastic ziplock bags typically used for dividing and selling narcotics. An employee ID card belonging to Mr. Prapat Promlee, a temporary business employee at an industrial estate company, was also found inside and secured as evidence.
Highway police officers Pol. Cpl. Theera Somwang and Pol. Cpl. Ek Sathaphon Kathinthet, who had pursued the vehicle, explained that while patrolling Highway 331, they noticed the sedan parked roadside in the Khao Mai Kaeo area, heading toward the Bo Win district. The vehicle had no visible license plates, so they stopped to inspect it. As they prepared to approach, the driver suddenly accelerated away, heading toward Ban Khao Mai Kaeo and continuing in the direction of Sattahip district.
In the construction zone just past the entrance to Ban Chak Ngao in the Huai Yai sub-district, where the road was narrowed with traffic cones, the suspect continued at high speed. He swerved from the far-right lane across the cones into the middle lane and violently struck the wheel of a road roller in operation. The impact sent the car careening off the road, crashing into a tree and flipping over.
A 45-year-old female worker known as Jiab and a 35-year-old male road roller operator named New described their shock. They said workers were positioned on the far-left shoulder at the time and felt fortunate, as the speeding vehicle could have struck multiple people in the inner lanes if anyone had been closer to the center.
Authorities are awaiting the suspect’s recovery from critical injuries before conducting further questioning and filing charges under relevant laws, including those related to drug possession, distribution, traffic violations, and fleeing from police.
