Chiang Mai police have found new evidence showing that the dead key defence witness in the Red Bull heir’s case, Mr. Jaruchart Mardthong, and the other motorcyclist involved in the road accident which resulted in Jaruchart’s death, were seen drinking together in the same liquor store before the accident.
Pol Maj-Gen Pichet Chiranantasin, commander of Chiang Mai police, told the media that police used CCTV to trace the route of the two motorcyclists, along the Huey Kaew Road, to a karaoke bar in Tambon Mae Hia.
Police investigators questioned the bar owner and staff and were told that Jaruchart, 40, and the other motorist, Mr. Somchai Dawino, 50, drank separately at the bar before the accident.
Pol Maj-Gen Pichet said this testimony contradicts Somchai’s, so they summoned the latter for additional questioning, during which Somchai admitted that both of them met in front of the bar, after it closed, at about 1am of July 30th.
Both were drunk and they started talking with each other. Somchai then invited Jaruchart to drink at another venue in town, where he claimed to know one of the waitresses, identified only as Nong Waen.
Both were heading towards the other bar, on their respective motorcycles, when the collision occurred, resulting in the death of Jaruchart. Somchai was also injured, but not seriously.
Somchai has subsequently been charged with reckless driving, said the Chiang Mai police commander.
Regarding the accident in Bangkok eight years ago, Jaruchart had claimed he had been travelling in a pickup truck behind the now deceased police officer, Wichien Klanprasert, who was on his motorcycle, and saw him cut in front of the Ferrari, being driven by the Red Bull heir, Vorayuth Yoovidhya. He also claimed that Vorayuth was driving under the 80kph speed limit.
