Truck driver arrested while fleeing two police checkpoints
A truck driver was arrested as he fled two police checkpoints in a drug-fuelled rampage in Thailand.
Saengsawangwong Phukheed, 40, allegedly swallowed meth to keep him awake as he travelled through Nakhon Ratchasima, on July 23.
However, he reportedly panicked when police asked him to stop at a checkpoint for an inspection.
Instead of stopping, he allegedly sped past officers, sparking a police chase through the highway.
Dashcam footage shows the trailer truck racing down the road with police cars in pursuit.
Saengsawangwong then manoeuvred through a U-turn and continued fleeing from the cops.
During the escape, the truck shunted two pickup trucks into the central reservation, causing severe damage when one of them hit an electric pole.
The chase ended near the Soeng Sang Police Station, where Saengsawangwong pulled over after his wife told him to surrender over the phone.
Police said no one was killed or injured during the incident. They searched the trailer truck but found no illegal items.
They then searched Saengsawangwong and seized one methamphetamine pill from his pocket.
The trucker allegedly admitted he had consumed a methamphetamine pill before being stopped by patrol officers for an inspection.
He claimed he refused to stop because he panicked.
He said: 'I was talking to my wife while I was fleeing, and she told me to surrender. So I decided to drive to Soeng Sang Police Station. I admit I made a mistake and acted impulsively because I was afraid of the consequences. I sincerely apologise to everyone affected, and I promise I will never use drugs again.'
Police detained the driver for further questioning before proceeding with legal action.
Thailand has one of the world's worst road safety records. Ministers have set the goal of reducing fatalities from 32.7 deaths per 100,000 people to 12 per 100,000 people by the year 2027.
However, a lack of road safety education in schools along with notoriously easy driving tests, police failures to enforce road laws, and chronic under-investment in infrastructure, all appear to hamper the efforts.
