The mother of Orachorn "Praewa" Thephasadin na Ayudhya has promised to sell the family's land to raise money to pay the 24.76 million baht in compensation ordered for the families of the dead and injured victims of her young daughter's horrific car crash in 2010.
Ladawan Thephasadin na Ayudhya told a TV interviewer on Thursday that her family would sell 21-rai of land worth about 50 million baht in Pran Buri district of Prachuap Khiri Khan. If that was not enough, they would sell another 300-square-wa worth about 55 million baht in Muang Thong Thani housing estate in Nonthaburi province.
She said the family did not pay right away because it did not have enough cash. She suggested the Justice Ministry use its justice fund for quick compensation payment, and her family would later reimburse it.
Mrs Ladawan was adamant the family intended to pay the compensation. She apologised to the victims and their families, saying her family shared the suffering of the victims. Her daughter suffered from depression, and the whole family depended on sleeping pills.
On the night of Dec 27, 2010, Orachorn drove her car into the back of a passenger van on the Don Muang Tollway near Kasetsart University. Nine people were killed, some falling to the ground below the elevated tollway, and the others in the van were injured.
Orachorn was only slightly injured. She was 16 at the time, and not eligible to hold a licence. She was seen in photos posted on social media standing beside her car and talking on the phone after the crash
In April 2014, the Appeal Court sentenced her to two years in jail, suspended the sentence for four years, put her on probation for three years, and ordered her to do 144 hours of community service over the three years. She was prohibited from driving until the age of 25, her age this year.
The Supreme Court ordered her and her parents to pay 24.76 million baht compensation to the affected families. There were 28 plaintiffs in the civil case.
