CHIANG RAI – On Sunday, a pickup truck hit a 68-year-old man who had been resting in the temple grounds, severing both legs. He was rushed to Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital and later died from his injuries.
Police Sub-Lt. Jirayut Nantanakorn, deputy investigator at Muang Chiang Rai Police Station, and rescue workers responded to the scene where they discovered Mr. Suphach, 68, from Mae Suai district, who had been thrown into the right rear fender flare of an orange Isuzu D-Max with Chiang Rai plates, leaving the parked vehicle damaged.
Officers also examined a grey Isuzu D-Max, the suspected offending vehicle, which had front-end damage. The driver, Ms. Atima, 51, waited at the scene to speak with investigators and appeared shaken. The accident happened under a madan tree near a turning point within the temple parking grounds.
CCTV footage inside the temple reportedly shows the grey pickup looping around a Bodhi tree used as a turnaround, then driving straight into Mr. Suphach as he sat under the madan tree. The footage appears to show the truck reversing, then accelerating into the same spot again. The case remains under investigation.
A Facebook user, “Naruepanat Kandathanasiri,” who identified himself as the victim’s son, posted a video expressing grief over his father’s death. He complained that the driver did not answer calls, did not offer condolences, and did not take responsibility. He also claimed the act was intentional.
Reporters visited the temple next to Kad Luang in Chiang Rai Municipality. Blood stains and collision marks were still visible. Temple staff said the victim had come to shop with his wife. He first waited near the front of the viharn, but moved to the shade under the madan tree because of the strong sun. The spot is about 20 metres from the parking area.
Ms. Maliwan, owner of the parked orange Isuzu D-Max damaged in the impact, said she was selling at the market when an employee told her about the crash. She found the right rear fender flare broken, with blood and tissue on the vehicle. The victim had already been taken to the hospital.
She spoke briefly with the female driver, who was seated nearby and still in shock. The driver said her brakes failed, and she drove into the tree. She claimed she did not realize at first that she had hit a person.
She added that she had insurance and would compensate for damages, and that both insurers would need to discuss the claim. According to Ms. Maliwan, both the driver and the victim were familiar faces at the market, though she did not personally know either of them.
