Police find car owner in 2005 hit-and-run

Police have found a new witness who claims he was the owner of the pickup truck reportedly involved in the 2005 hit-and-run case involving a former teacher who is now fighting to exonerate herself.

The man said his vehicle was with him during the time of the incident and had never hit anyone.

Jomsap Saenmuangkhot, 54, the former teacher, is seeking a retrial after being convicted by the Supreme Court and serving an 18-month jail term resulting from a car accident in March 2005 in which an elderly cyclist was killed. The former teacher says a man named Sap Wapee, who claims to be the real driver in the deadly hit-and-run case, will prove her innocence.

However, police said they have found Ubon Chaiban, 65, a resident of Mukdahan, who claimed to own the green Isuzu pickup truck, carrying licence plate number Bor Khor 56 Mukdahan, from 2004 to 2007. Mr Sap claims he drove the car which hit the victim on March 11, 2005.

Mr Ubon told reporters Thursday he used the pickup truck on his farmland in his hometown and had never lent the vehicle to anyone during his period of ownership.

According to him, the pickup truck was owned previously by Mr Sap who later sold the vehicle to Ran Thonkaew, 65, a former village chief of Moo 6 in tambon Kudkae in Mukdahan's Muang district.

Mr Ran then sold the vehicle to him in 2004. However, the name of the owner in the vehicle's document remained Mr Sap as the ownership was not transferred to Mr Ran and Mr Ubon because the condition of the vehicle was old and it was only used on farmlands.

Mr Ubon said he used the vehicle since 2004 and sold it as scrap at a price of 30,000 baht along with the ownership document in 2007 due to its worn-out condition.

However, in 2012, an unknown man came to see him inquiring about the pickup truck, unaware it had been sold years ago. The man said he wanted to purchase the vehicle to use it as evidence to help his relative who was in prison in connection with a deadly car accident, said Mr Ubon.

Mr Ubon's testimony came after police launched a probe into a group of seven people suspected of involvement in an attempt to seek a retrial of a hit-and-run case portraying Ms Jomsap as the scapegoat.

Ms Jomsap was sentenced to three years and two months in prison after being found guilty by the Supreme Court in 2013, but was released following a royal pardon in April 2015 after serving 18 months.

Meanwhile, Thongret Wongsricha, 51, a farmer in Nakhon Phanom who was one of two key witnesses in the Jomsap case, insisted she gave testimony to the court that the suspect was a man.

On March 11, 2005, Ms Thongret rode pillion with Thatsanee Hanphayak, 61, another witness in the case.

Both witnessed the accident while they were on their way home in tambon Na Khu after making merit in tambon Tha Lat.

Ms Thongret said while they were on Highway no 2031, from That Noi to Na Nua, they saw a vehicle, in which she was uncertain it was a sedan or a pickup truck, overtake them at high speed and then crashing the bicyclist, killing Lua.

A heavyset man in a black long sleeved shirt stepped out of his car to check the victim before speeding away.

Source:
courtesy of BANGKOK POST

by PATTANAPONG SRIPIENCHAI

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