A motorists who blamed an epileptic fit for an accident that killed two people and injured 15 in South Pattaya was, in fact, on drugs at the time, police said.
Akorndej Udomrath, 44, was being held on charges of reckless driving causing death Dec. 5 after he crashed his pickup truck into cars and motorbikes stopped at an intersection near Tukcom on South Road the day before.
Akorndej was pulled from the vehicle and pummeled by witnesses, who assumed he was drunk. However, blood tests at the time showed there was no alcohol in his system.
The driver told police he suffered from epilepsy – an assertion backed up by medical records – and that he had a seizure and blacked out, causing the accident.
However, police told Thai media outlets that, in fact, Akorndej had a Category 1 narcotic in his system at the time of the crash. They did not specify the drug, and some Epilepsy drugs are listed as Category 1 narcotics. These drugs are used alone or in combination with other anti-seizure drugs to treat partial-onset seizures. The most common side effects include dizziness, nausea, headache, vomiting, fatigue, vertigo, ataxia, blurred vision, and tremor.
He is being held without bail.
Pattaya police chief Pol. Col. Apichai Kroppech visited the injured victims in the hospital Dec. 5. Most were sent home with minor injuries, although four were said to be in serious condition.
