Horrific Crash in Nonthaburi: Three Dead After Drunk BMW Driver Slams Into Tuk-Tuk

NONTHABURI, THAILAND — A tragic early morning collision inside a residential housing estate has claimed the lives of three women after a heavily intoxicated BMW driver rammed his vehicle at high speed into a local tuk-tuk.

The catastrophic crash occurred around 4:30 AM on Monday, July 20, 2026 in the Sano Loi sub-district of Bang Bua Thong. It has ignited fresh public outrage over the persistent dangers of drunk driving on Thailand's roads.

According to Bang Bua Thong Police, the driver of the black BMW sedan was identified as a 32-year-old man. Investigators revealed he was traveling home from a restaurant on Ratchaphruek Road, where he had spent the night watching the World Cup football final.

CCTV footage from the residential estate captured the moments leading up to the disaster. The small, open-air three-wheeled tuk-tuk had just picked up two elderly passengers and turned onto the estate’s main road. Moments later, the speeding BMW violently struck the back of the tuk-tuk, completely overturning it and reducing the vehicle to crumpled metal before losing control and crashing into a roadside tree.

The three victims in the tuk-tuk were all female. The driver, 37-year-old Prathumporn, who operated the vehicle regularly within the community, died instantly at the scene. Among the passengers were elderly siblings Lamai, 82, and Phattra, 77, who were regular commuters; Lamai was pronounced dead at the scene, while emergency personnel administered CPR to Phattra for 30 minutes before she tragically succumbed to her injuries at a local hospital.

Family members stated that the two elderly sisters were on their way to the Bang Bua Thong market to sell traditional Thai desserts, a routine they performed every morning. A niece of the victims recalled hearing the deafening sound of the impact from her nearby house, only to rush outside and discover the horrific scene.

Emergency responders from the Ruamkatanyu Foundation arrived to find the front end of the BMW severely destroyed with its airbags deployed. The driver remained at the scene to cooperate with investigators and promised to take full responsibility for the incident. However, witnesses noted he initially refused to answer immediate questions from the victims' grieving relatives regarding his alcohol consumption.

Subsequent blood-alcohol tests administered by police revealed that the driver had an alcohol concentration level of 152 mg per 100 ml of blood—more than three times the legal driving limit of 50 mg.

"We intend to prosecute this driver to the absolute fullest extent of the law," said the distraught niece of the elderly sisters. "A simple morning routine shouldn't cost three innocent people their lives because someone chose to drink and drive."

Bang Bua Thong police are currently finalizing their investigation to formally charge the driver with dangerous driving causing death while under the influence of alcohol.