Capital punishment for drunken driver who killed four seen a

Post by **Loaded** » September 2, 2005, 6:05 pm

A foundation against drunk driving said the death sentence handed down by a court in Maha Sarakham province this week against a convicted drunk driver would set a new standard in Thai society.

Dr Taejing Siripanich, secretary-general of the Campaign Against Drunk Driving Foundation, said this was the first case he has seen where the suspect was punished to such a harsh extent.

He said it made a welcome change.

On Wednesday, Nattapong Raksapong, 23, was sentenced to death on several charges related to a drunk driving rampage in 2004 in which four people were killed, four were injured and five vehicles were damaged.

Dr Taejing said drunk driving punishments have been light in the past and we still have many drunkards on the roads as a result.

He said it was high time that Thai people realised that drunk drivers are blights on society.

Post by **businessman** » September 3, 2005, 10:45 am

I gather he was driving a large truck and did three hit and runs on people on mototcycles.

laphanphon · Post by **laphanphon** » September 3, 2005, 12:19 pm

i read the story, very short on actual event, but he took out one motor bike w/initial accident, then the rest while trying to escape from police, also damaging 5 cars in the process, i think, but don't quote me. ok quote me.

"The landmark death sentence handed down to an intoxicated driver who killed four people would help reduce the carnage on Thailand's roads, a foundation campaigning against drunken driving said yesterday.

A 23-year-old former college student, Nattapong Raksapong, was sentenced to death by a court in Maha Sarakham on Wednesday on several charges relating to a 2004 drunk-driving rampage in which four people were killed, four injured and five vehicles damaged.

''This is a historic verdict and should set a precedent in cases of drunken drivers who kill innocent people on the roads,'' said Surasit Silapangam of the Don't Drink and Drive Foundation.

He said drunken driving was involved in about 80% of the more than 14,500 deaths and 1.08 million injuries on Thailand's roads last year.

Nattapong, driving a six-wheeler, struck a motorcycle, sped away, and hit two other motorcycles. He tried to flee but crashed into another truck.AP"

Post by **businessman** » September 3, 2005, 2:06 pm

Around here,at the end of each day,the construction workers get together and polish off a few bottles of lao khao.Then they jump onto bikes and into cars and head home.A real ingrained culture of drinking and driving and no chance of a copper stopping and testing your breath.