The Taling Chan Court on Saturday rejected murder and attempted murder charges against the drink-driving businessman involved in a head-on collision that killed a policeman and his wife and injured their daughter in Bangkok's Thawi Watthana district late Thursday night.
Police had pressed both murder charges in compliance with the government's new policy to curb the traffic death toll of the ongoing Songkran festival.
The Taling Chan Court ordered police of the Sala Daeng station to exclude the two charges and keep others -- reckless driving causing death, serious injuries and property damage and drink-driving causing death, injuries and property damage -- against Somchai Wayrotepipat.
Mr Somchai, 57, the owner of Thai Carbon & Graphite Co, appeared drunk after crashing his silver Mercedes-Benz E250 with licence plate number Sor Hor 789 into the white Suzuki Swift of Pol Lt Col Chatuporn Ngamsuwichakul, 48, of the Crime Suppression Division.
The head-on collision happened on Thawi Watthana-Kanchanaphisek Road at 11.30pm on Thursday. The suspect's blood alcohol measured 260mg/dL just after the fatal crash.
The policeman was killed instantly on the driver's seat. His wife succumbed to injuries and died later while their 16-year-old daughter suffered a serious brain haemorrhage. Mr Somchai was not injured but has some leg pain.
Police told the court on Saturday that Mr Somchai had practised golf at a driving range in Thawi Watthana district and drank beer before leaving the place. On Thawi Watthana-Kanchanaphisek Road, his Mercedes-Benz veered off into the opposite lane and smashed into the Suzuki.
The court approved the 12-day detention extension of the suspect pending interrogation, autopsies and other inquiries. Later, the court approved a 200,000-baht bail request from his relative.
His elder brother Ratanachai Wayrotepipat on Saturday apologised for the incident and promised his family would take full responsibility for all the damage and would pay for the treatment of the injured girl and for the education of the dead policeman's two daughters.
