Drunk man loses family over bad insurance claim

A drunk fresh-chicken vendor, enraged after an insurance firm refused to pay for the damage to his pickup truck after an accident, sped off and crashed his vehicle, killing his wife and one-year-old son on Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok in the early hours of yesterday.

Pol Capt Anucha Pliansamai, deputy inspector of Phahon Yothin police, was alerted at 1am to the accident in front of the International Trade Promotion Department on the inbound lane of Ratchadaphisek Road in Chatuchak district.

At the scene, two trees and a concrete power pole were downed after they were rammed by the Ford pickup truck. On the road, police found the body of a toddler and 29-year-old Daran Chareonsri, who was critically wounded. She was taken to a nearby hospital, where emergency workers tried to resuscitate her without success.

The police said the driver, Shane Phromchak, was under the influence of alcohol.

He was devastated by the loss of his family and could not give police statements.

According to police, Mr Shane, who runs a fresh chicken business, had sideswiped another vehicle in Soi Sue Yai Uthit and called the insurance officer to the scene. The officer arrived later, only to reject Mr Shane’s claim because he was drunk.

Furious, Mr Shane drove off and crashed his vehicle. The insurance officer, who was driving his motorcycle, said he saw Mr Shane’s pickup truck sway from side to side before ploughing into the power pole.