Drug trader gets life for running over two police officers

The Criminal Court yesterday sentenced a drug trafficker to life in prison for crashing his car into two policemen - killing one and seriously injuring the other - during a sting operation.

Alongkorn Rermprachathi-patai, 26, was also ordered to pay Bt1.64 million in compensation to the dead policeman's parents. In addition, he was sentenced to seven years in jail and fined Bt375,000 for drug trafficking.

His common-law wife, Preeyanuch Puttikorn, was also given seven years in jail and fined Bt375,000 for drug trafficking. She was in the car when Alongkorn ran into a motorcycle being driven by Pol Corporal Sirawit Ruamjit and Pol Captain Taweesak Daoruang on January 11 last year on a road linking Bangkok and Nonthaburi.

Sirawit and Taweesak were on a sting operation to nab drug traffickers at the time of the crash.

After Alongkorn discovered that he was the focus of the sting operation, he turned his car around and crashed into the motorcycle ridden by the two policemen.

Sirawit, who was driving the motorbike, sustained serious injuries, while Taweesak, who was riding pillion, was knocked down and his body was dragged for 15 metres. The police captain, a deputy inspector at the Suttisarn Police Station, succumbed to his injuries later.

Alongkorn's car was found to have 200 methamphetamine tablets and 4 grams of crystal methamphetamine.