Police in Kamphaeng Phet province say that a blood-alcohol test on the driver of a pickup, which skidded off the road causing the deaths of two teenage students and injuring other passengers, revealed that her blood-alcohol level far exceeded the legal limit.
The driver, a 33-year-old woman identified as “Kannika”, had a blood-alcohol level of 147mg/100, while the legal limit is 50mg/100.
The victims were identified as Boonyarit Priakkasikum and Mark Pootpong, both 16 and members of a seven-member football team from Wachiraprakarn Wittayakhom School in the province’s Muang district.
Police say the two victims were among eight passengers riding on the rear bed of the pickup and, when the vehicle veered off the road on a turn, they and others were thrown from the vehicle.
The victims died from the impact of striking a roadside utility pole.
Four other passengers were seriously injured, while five people in the cab, including the driver, also sustained injuries.
The students were returning from a football match in Muang district, where they had won a trophy, when the accident occurred.
Surviving passengers in the vehicle told police that they saw Kannika drinking alcohol while waiting for the match results. They said she appeared to be heavily intoxicated.
Chaos erupted at Kamphaeng Phet Hospital, where the injured were being treated, as families and relatives of the deceased and injured attempted to attack Kannika, who was there for treatment of her injuries and to undergo the blood-alcohol test.
Police had to protect her from the angry crowd while trying to restore order.
