Police have detained and questioned the driver of the ill-fated coach that caught fire in an accident yesterday in Pathum Thani province, killing scores of schoolchildren.
The driver, identified only as Samarn, 48, surrendered to police in Ang Thong province last night after initially fleeing the scene.
He was later handed over to the police at Khu Khot Police Station in Pathum Thani.
Samarn claimed that he was driving at about 80 kph at the time of the accident.
He felt the coach hit a pothole in the road, as if a tire had burst, causing the vehicle to swerve slightly to the right and collide with a Mercedes Benz, said Pol Maj Gen Chayanon Meesati, deputy commissioner of the Region 1 Provincial Police Bureau.
He further claimed that he tried to regain control of the vehicle, but it hit the steel road barrier, creating sparks that ignited a fire.
He then went to grab a fire extinguisher from the second coach but ultimately fled the scene instead, saying he was “overwhelmed with shock.”
Four charges have been filed against the driver, including reckless driving and fleeing the scene of an accident without helping the victims or reporting to the police.
Chayanon stated that whether more charges will be filed against the driver will depend (on arrow)additional evidence from the Police Forensic Science Institute and other relevant agencies.
