Driver of Saturday’s hit-and-run incident admits to driving over a tourist in Samui

On Saturday a tourist from Israel stepped out into the road in Bophut to avoid a puddle, instead of getting wet feet he was mowed down by a pick-up truck that literally drove over him. After driving over the tourist the driver of the truck simply drove away. Quickly the low quality CCTV footage of the incident went viral on social network sites.

The video shows the tourist walking out into the middle of the road to avoid the puddle before being knocked over, both the front and back wheels of the truck drove over the man’s head. Incredibly he survived the incident. The video then shows the driver speeding away from the scene.

The driver Sangong Songkul, 45 handed himself in on Sunday morning and confessed to hitting the man, but defended his decision not to stop telling the police he was afraid that crowds of onlookers might attack him, the video however only shows a couple of people present at the scene. The victim was later identified as Amir Cohen.

Social media sites quickly picked up the story that created outrage from viewers, one post read “this bastard should be arrested, the authorities must act on this footage, or is Samui going to be known as death island full of incidents such as this”.

Lt. Cpt, Boonnam Srithanarat of the Bophut Police station said that the driver of the vehicle called a police officer who was a personal friend to tell him he would be handing himself in on Sunday so the incident should not be classed as hit-and-run, however the driver has been charged with reckless driving resulting in injury and hit and run. He was released on Sunday after he was charged.

The victim is recovering in hospital.

 

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