BANGKOK – An online seller driving an SUV struck and killed a 75-year-old British woman in Nonthaburi, leaving her retired husband devastated. The couple had settled in Thailand and were getting ready to celebrate Christmas together.
At around 1.00 pm on Wednesday, officers from Sai Noi Police Station in Nonthaburi received a report of a pedestrian being hit by a car and killed while crossing the road. The crash took place on the outbound side of Bang Kruai–Sai Noi Road, just past Sai Noi Hospital, in Moo 6, Sai Noi subdistrict, Sai Noi district.
Police and volunteers from Ruamkatanyu Foundation went to the scene. At the scene, they found the body of Mrs Suzanne Routledge Godwin, 75, a British national who lived nearby. She was lying on the road with severe head injuries, wounds to her neck, and a torn right elbow.
Near the body, officers found Ms Jarunant, 40, an online seller and driver of a white Toyota Fortuner that had hit the victim. She stayed at the scene and waited to talk to the police, visibly shocked and frightened. Ms Jarunant told officers that she had driven from Lam Luk Ka to meet a friend at a nearby shopping centre to pick up foundation cream.
She said that after making a U-turn, she saw the victim running across the road and almost reaching the central reservation. According to her statement, the victim suddenly stopped in the middle of the lane, so she could not brake in time and hit her straight on.
She said that if the woman had walked a little further, she would have reached the central island safely. She added that she did not understand why the victim stopped in the middle of the road.
Ms Jarunant said she felt deep regret that the woman had died, and that if it had only been an injury, at least there would have been a chance for treatment.
British Husband Devastated
Police took Ms Jarunant to Sai Noi Police Station for further questioning. She was charged with careless driving, causing the death of another person, and the case will proceed under the law. Not long after, British National Mr David, the victim’s husband, arrived at the station to give his statement. He appeared overwhelmed with grief and kept his head down throughout the questioning.
Mr Somsak Duangsono, Deputy Mayor of Sai Noi Municipality, said that as soon as he heard that a foreigner had died in a road accident on Bang Kruai–Sai Noi Road, he immediately thought of this British couple. They were the only British pair living in Sai Noi.
At first, he did not know whether it was the husband or the wife who had been killed. He explained that he was close to the couple. They often went together to support the Nonthaburi football team. After retiring, the pair moved to Thailand, where they had lived for 8 years.
They bought a house in a housing estate in Sai Noi 5 years ago and had settled into local life.
Every morning, the husband and wife would ride their bicycles around the estate and stop to chat with neighbours. Just a few days earlier, they had told him that they had already booked a place in Pattaya to celebrate Christmas together this year.
Mr Somsak said he never imagined that tragedy would strike his wife before their plans came true. He added that he is ready to help arrange a Thai-style funeral ceremony for her at a local temple.
Speaking about the husband’s emotional state, Mr Somsak said he could see that Mr David was deeply hurt, but at the same time seemed to accept what had happened to some degree. Mr David told him that no matter how angry he might feel toward the driver, his wife would not come back to life.
