Senior Police Officer Racing to Crime Scene Crashes and Dies

A senior police officer has died after losing control of his vehicle and plunging into a pond while speeding to a crime scene in southern Thailand’s Phatthalung.

An investigator at Ko Nang Kham police station in Phatthalung, said the accident happened at a curve on the Ko Mak-Ko Yuan road near Moo 1 village in tambon Ko Nang Kham.

The dead officer was Pol Maj Prachuap Suwannarat, 53, of Songkhla-based Provincial Police Region 9 headquarters. He was an experienced crime investigator in southern Thailand.

According to police investigators Pol Maj Prachuap left his home in Songkhla’s Sathing Phra district about 4.30am on Monday, heading for Khao Chai Son district in Phatthalung to join Crime Suppression Division and local police in a murder investigation.

He was due to arrive there by 6am. However he did not show up and could not be reached by phone. His whereabouts were not known until his crashed car was reported on Monday evening.

Police and rescuers arrived at the crash scene about 9pm on Monday to investigate the accident. A white Chevrolet Captiva had nosedived into a roadside pond, and the front was submerged in the water.

When the vehicle was lifted from the pond, they found Pol Maj Prachuap’s body inside.

He was in the back seat and his neck was broken. He was believed to have been thrown there by the impact of the crash because he did not fasten his safety belt.

Police recovered a black strap bag containing three pistols and some ammunition, Pol Capt Wichai said.