A British man crashed his saloon car into a local house in the Isaan province of Udon Thani, narrowly missing a young Thai girl, before fleeing the scene.
The homeowner, 52 year old Prayoon Saenwian, filed a complaint with officers at Mueang Udon Thani Police Station at around 4pm on Wednesday following the incident. He also submitted CCTV footage from a nearby grocery store as evidence.
Police later inspected the scene and reported that a bronze Toyota Vios had driven through the wall of Prayoon’s home. The crash created a hole approximately 3.5 metres wide in the wall, and the front of the vehicle was extensively damaged.
Prayoon told police that the driver was a foreign man who exited the car and walked away from the scene without saying a word. He said that residents informed him the man had been staying at an apartment about 200 metres from his house.
Prayoon recounted the moment of the crash to officers. He said he was feeding his chickens behind his house while his eight year old niece was playing on a bamboo seat near the point of impact.
The girl had just stepped away from the seat to ask for money to buy a snack when the car crashed through the wall. She reportedly burst into tears from shock and fear, but was fortunately unharmed.
A 65 year old witness, Saman Kingpudsa, told the Facebook news page Mor Khao Online that the foreigner parked his car in the lot of a laundry shop next to Prayoon’s house.
Saman said he saw the man revving the engine multiple times, as if the vehicle was malfunctioning. Suddenly, it surged forward and smashed into the house.
Police later identified the driver as a 72 year old British national, Nigel Anthony. Officers visited his accommodation and conducted a breathalyser test, which showed no traces of alcohol.
Investigators suspect the crash may have been caused by a mechanical fault. Both parties were summoned to the police station for mediation and to agree on compensation.
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