Singaporean driver charged with crashing into Thai police officer in Phuket and fleeing

A Singaporean man in Phuket has been charged after allegedly crashing his vehicle into a traffic police officer and fleeing the scene.

Footage of the incident has gone viral since it was uploaded on the Phuket Times Facebook page on Wednesday (March 18), with over 445,000 views.

In the video, a white Ford Ranger is seen knocking down traffic barriers and a traffic police officer while driving down a road.

The officer appears to fall, but manages to slowly push himself off the ground and stand up while the vehicle speeds away.

In a separate clip, a driver is seen getting out of his van to assist the traffic police officer after the collision.

The incident occurred at around 7.30am on March 18, and the 52-year-old officer sustained minor injuries, Thai media reported.

Thai police also reported that eight traffic barriers were damaged from the crash.

Follow-up investigations helped to identify the car plate and owner of the truck, a Thai woman named Pornphit Jitpraphat.

She identified her son-in-law, Singaporean Tey Wee Keong Jonathan, as the driver.

The 44-year-old later surrendered himself to the police, claiming that he had not noticed the collision while driving.

Tey was charged with reckless driving, causing injury and failing to stop to provide assistance.

Police have also seized the vehicle and conducted drug and alcohol tests on the driver, and may pursue further legal action once the results are in.

@asiaone He has since been charged for reckless driving and failing to stop to render assistance. Investigations are ongoing. #thailand #sgnews #singapore #trafficpolice #crash #accident ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

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dana.leong@asiaone.com