A WILD POLICE CHASE took place at Phuket’s Patong beach and Kathu town this morning (Nov. 9) with policemen racing to catch a Brazilian man who had fled after an accident at this beach and later rammed into a van full of tourists slightly injuring many of them, Naewna newspaper said.
At 8.30 a.m. Patong police station was alerted of a collision at Government Savings Bank intersection after which the driver of a four-door pick-up truck zoomed off with the victim only remembering the last two numbers of the licence plate – 46.
The police radioed to traffic police to apprehend the driver of this vehicle and one policeman on duty saw that he was heading for Suwan Khiri Wong Temple and followed in a police car but failed to catch him.
Later he was informed that the same pick-up truck was parked in front of this temple so he went there and called out to stop but as he got close the driver revved the engine and fled up Patong Hill almost hitting the policeman.
With other policemen joining him the police team chased the driver through Patong town with the pick-up truck driver then ramming into a van full of tourists causing it to flip on its side leading to many holidaymakers being slightly injured.
The pick-up truck then went into Kathu area turning into Soi Bang Thong which is a narrow alley triggering panic in the neighbourhood.
The chase continued with police in close pursuit until the pick-up truck reached the entrance of Bang Thong Village where it collided with a motorcycle and a police car damaging them and causing injuries with one policeman, Pol.Sgt. Wiraphon Thipbun, too being hurt.
The chase only ended after the pick-up truck driver parked his vehicle at a golf cart repair shop within a golf course in Kathu and fled.
However police finally did catch the suspect and identified him as Mr. Marcelo da Conceicao Nascimento (name translated as written in Thai), a Brazilian national, and took him to Kathu police station for alcohol test and proceeding with legal action.
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The four-door pick-up truck driven by the Brazilian suspect and the tourists in the van that flipped on its side after he rammed the vehicle. All photos: Naewna
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