Elderly Couple Injured in Road Rage Crash Involving Politician’s Son
A road rage incident involving a BMW driven by Smitthipat Leenawarat, the 28-year-old son of Thanyaburi’s mayor and brother of a Pheu Thai MP, has left an elderly couple injured and sparked nationwide outrage.
The crash occurred Wednesday morning on Bangkok’s eastern outer ring road when the BMW allegedly pursued and clipped a black pickup truck, causing it to crash into a median barrier. The couple inside, Prachak Duangyai, 65, and Somsri, 64, sustained injuries. Mr. Prachak is being treated in the ICU for cracked ribs.
The altercation was reportedly triggered when the pickup cut in front of the BMW after leaving a toll plaza. Dashcam footage shows the BMW swerving in front of the pickup in apparent retaliation, leading to the collision. The footage quickly went viral online.
Smitthipat Leenawarat, a municipal council candidate, tested negative for alcohol. His father, Mayor Krissada Leenawarat, visited the couple in hospital and said he would not defend his son if wrongdoing was found.
National police chief Pol Gen Kittharath Punpetch condemned the incident, stating, “What if there had been a young child? Anyone who behaves like this will find it difficult to exist in this society.” He emphasized that police would pursue all possible charges and treat the case as a test of the Thai justice system’s credibility.
Police are awaiting the couple’s discharge from hospital to proceed with questioning.
