Police re-enact Chuwong car crash

Amateur scientists are probably busy today speculating whether yesterday's car crash test could reliably determine whether billionaire Chuwong Sae Tang's death was accidental. What do you think?

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Police re-enact Chuwong car crash

Post Reporters

A crash test has been conducted to determine how, and if, billionaire Chuwong Sae Tang died in a car accident while he was being driven by the former deputy commerce minister.

Three months after Chuwong was found dead in the vehicle on Chaloem Phrakiat Road in Bangkok's Prawet district on June 26, authorities yesterday carried out the test at the accident scene by using a crash-test dummy inside a similar vehicle.

Chuwong's body was found in the front seat of the vehicle driven by his friend, Pol Lt Col Banyin Tangpakorn, who sustained minor injuries in the crash.

Forensic police and experts from King Mongkut's University North Bangkok used sensors and cameras inside the vehicle to record the movements of the dummy during the crash. The speed at which the test was performed was kept between 30-50 kilometres per hour, mirroring the speed of the crash.

Forensic experts check the data.

Police want to determine what kind of injuries could have been sustained by Chuwong and whether those injuries were life-threatening. The test was witnessed by relatives of Chuwong and Pol Lt Col Banyin.

Pol Lt Col Banyin's son, who did not give his name, said he doubted the test could credibly emulate the accident, partly because it would be difficult to place the dummy in the exact position as Chuwong was in the vehicle. The road conditions yesterday were wet and slippery due to rain, which differed from June 26 when it was dry. This, too, could affect the test result.

Another view of the test scene.

However, Anek Khamchum, Chuwong's lawyer, said he had confidence in the investigators' method of trying to identify the cause of Chuwong's death. The mock car crash would help to shed light on the case, he said. The lawyer said there were only two people in the vehicle that day. One was already dead while the other "should know everything", Mr Anek said.

Pol Lt Col Banyin earlier denied he had a motive to kill his friend. He also insisted he had nothing to do with Chuwong's share transfers, which took place a few days before the car crash. He is charged with forging documents and cheating in connection with Chuwong's share transfers.

The same charge has been filed against three women – golf caddie Kanthana Siwathanapol, 26, stock broker Uracha Wachirakulton, 26, and Ms Uracha's mother Srithara Phromma, 52. The three received more than 260 million baht worth of shares from Chuwong.

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