RATCHABURI — Police on Monday said the father of a pro-government lawmaker was fined 500 baht after crashing his car into a motorcycle in Ratchaburi province over the weekend, injuring a 17-year-old boy.
Tawee Kraikupt, a former transport minister and father of scandal-beset Phalang Phracharath MP Parina Kraikupt, also agreed to pay a compensation of about 14,000 baht to the teenager following the accident, police said.
Eyewitnesses accused Tawee of trying to drive away from the accident. In a video posted by Sawang Ratchaburi volunteer rescue team, Tawee’s Mercedes Benz can be seen honking the horn and attempting to make a U-turn after his car was blocked by a rescuer’s vehicle.
One rescuer said Tawee’s car struck the fence of a house and almost hit the rescuers who were applying first aid to the victim, who was injured in his right foot.
Speaking in a Sunday presser, Tawee said he had no intention to flee the scene.
“I was trying to cross an intersection but a motorcycle suddenly cut through,” he said. “I decided not to get out of the car because I feared that stopping at the intersection would be a risk to another accident and I saw that the victim was apparently not seriously injured.”
He also threatened to file a legal complaint against the person who posted the video of the accident, which he said it was doctored to make him look bad.
“This is a society of fakery,” Tawee said.
Police said Tawee later visited the police station to settle the case. He reportedly agreed to pay about 14,000 baht in medical and repair costs to the victim, whose family decided not to press charges.
Tawee’s daughter Parina is also facing legal action from multiple state agencies who accused her of intruding on public lands in their home province of Ratchaburi.
Environment minister Varawut Silpa-archa on Thursday said the ministry has filed legal complaints against Parina for encroaching on protected forest land. If found guilty, she faces up to 15 years in prison.
Although Parina had returned parts of the land back to the relevant authorities, Varawut said the government may also file a separate lawsuit against her for intruding on plots of land reserved for impoverished farmers.
