The parents of a 17-year-old girl who was killed in a road accident in Pathum Thani's Lam Luk Ka district more than a year ago are still clinging to the hope that one day justice will be served for their daughter, who police accused of being jointly responsible for the incident.
Watchareepon Kongsompeth was crushed by an 18-wheeler truck while riding a motorcycle on Phahon Yothin Road in front of the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment in tambon Kukot on July 29, 2016. Her friend, who was riding pillion, miraculously survived.
The incident happened as the Mathayom 6 (Grade 12) student drove her friend home after they had finished helping Watchareepon's parents sell garlands at the Zeer Rangsit market.
Since the girl's death, her family has not received any compensation from the company operating the truck. All they ever received from the firm was a funeral wreath.
Speaking Out, an exclusive Bangkok Post column, gives readers an in-depth look at victims' efforts to seek justice and healing.
Kukot police, according to the parents, accused their daughter and the truck driver of being jointly liable for the accident.
The couple went to the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) on Jan 29 to call for justice and ask the division to expedite the probe into the case.
According to the parents, Watchareepon always helped sell garlands after school. She was loved by her teachers and other students. She was also a traditional dancer and musician for her school which had presented her with numerous accolades for her performances.
Her father, Pairat Srisa-ard, 48, said his family struggles to make ends meet from their flower and garland sales. He said the family had pinned their hopes on their only daughter graduating from higher education. His daughter had dreamed of becoming a traditional Thai dance teacher.
"She died a month before she was scheduled to play a zither before HRH Maha Chakri Sirindhorn at the National Theatre, which she had always dreamed of doing," Mr Pairat said.
"She was so close to fulfilling that dream. But it just wasn't meant to be."
According to the police investigation, his daughter and the truck driver both acted carelessly, he said.
He said his daughter was driving on the hard shoulder next to the leftmost traffic lane when she was struck by the truck. The father contends his daughter was clearly the victim of careless driving by the driver.
He said he was told by prosecutors, who received the investigation report from the police, that in August last year they had asked the police to question more witnesses since the probe was missing some key elements.
The father then approached police and told them about the prosecutors' request for additional information. However, police said they were not aware of such a request being submitted to them.
On Dec 28, police questioned Watchareepon's friend who survived the crash. Mr Pairat said he and his lawyer also found that the police's map pinpointing the accident spot had been inaccurately drawn up.
He then went to the scene to ask witnesses in the area himself. Several witnesses, he said, confirmed the truck hit his daughter's motorcycle from the rear before running over her.
Police allegedly failed to question these witnesses and simply concluded that both vehicles were equally to blame, he said.
"After the incident, police failed to seize the truck for inspection," Mr Pairat said. "This differs from other similar cases in which vehicles involved have been impounded for examination.
"The rear of the motorcycle bore clear signs of being crashed into, but this was not in the police report.
"I will do my best to fight for justice for my daughter.
"I want senior officers to look into the case since [local] police cannot be trusted any more."
If no progress is made, he said he would sue the officers in charge of the case, stressing he will never give up.
The family's lawyer, Thianthat Setthapirom, said the family is calling for justice because of the delayed investigation by police and doubts about their work.
According to the lawyer, the officer in charge of the case was prompted by Pathum Thani deputy commander Prawet Tonsomboon to speed up the investigation on Oct 6, 2016.
The location of the accident in the police report also in conflicts with pictures of the scene shown in a TV news programme and witness accounts, the lawyer said.
Police also failed to carry out a forensic examination of any kind, he added.
Mr Thianthat claims that officers had refrained from bringing in witnesses to pinpoint where the accident took place, making it appear as if they were trying to help a certain party get off the hook.
According to the lawyer, prosecutors asked inquiry officers to collect five vital pieces of information on Aug 21 last year, but police failed to proceed with the request.
Meanwhile, Kukot police station superintendent Smitthi Sarot said the accident happened before he was put in charge of the station.
He said the officer in charge of the case has handed prosecutors the investigation report, which covered all the requested elements.
The report concludes that Watchareepon's motorcycle attempted to overtake the truck from the leftmost lane but lost control while doing so, throwing the pillion rider onto a footpath and Watchareepon into the road and under the wheels of the truck, the superintendent said.
As for compensation for the victim's family, this can be negotiated in court, with her mother and father still able to file a civil suit to demand financial redress for their daughter's loss, the superintendent said.
