Dead actress’s phone found

Police are examining an iPhone 7 found close to the spot where actress Natnicha “Nong In” Cherdchubuppakaree was killed in a road accident in Ayutthaya on Saturday in the hope of finding more clues about the tragic incident.

The smartphone was recovered yesterday in a clump of grass about five metres from where her BMW hit a tree on the side of a road in tambon Chiang Rak Noi of Bang Pa-in district.

Following the crash, netizens raised questions about the actress’s phone, which had gone missing earlier. Police were sent to the area to try to find it. The recovered iPhone 7 has the front cover missing but the sim card was still usable, the officers said. Natnicha’s condominium key card was also discovered nearby. Representatives from a rescue team have confirmed they did not remove any valuables from the victim’s person.

Meanwhile, provincial Police Region 1 Commander Suwat Chaengyotsuk said the actress’ mother has been questioned by police. Officers are in the process of verifying whether Natnicha was talking on the phone while driving and if so, with whom.

Footage from CCTV cameras along the route will be reviewed to determine whether there were other vehicles present when the accident happened or if any other cars were involved, Pol Lt Gen Suwat said.

A patch of road about 150 metres from the crash scene was found to be uneven. It is possible Natnicha’s car which crossed a bridge may have hit the uneven section, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle, while the road was slippery due to heavy rain, he noted.

The Department of Highways (DOH) was contacted to repair the uneven patch and install more lights to avoid a repeat of the accident, Pol Lt Gen Suwat said.

Sujin Mungnimit, chief of the DOH’s Bureau of Highway Safety, inspected the crash site yesterday. He said although the conditions may have played a part, the actress was found to have driven fast as well.