Policeman behind zebra-crossing death ordains to make merit for victim
After attending the funeral of Dr Waralak Supawat-Jariyakul in Bangkok’s Wat Phra Sri Mahathat Woramahawihan on Sunday, Pol Lance Corporal Norawit Buadok and his father Sub-Lieutenant Nikhom Buadok were ordained as Buddhist monks on Monday.
They will serve as monks at the Wat Pariwat Ratchasongkram in Bangkok’s Yannawa district.
Norawit, an officer with the Protection and Crowds Control Division, rammed his Ducati motorbike into Dr Waralak while she was at the zebra crossing in front of Bhumirajanagarindra Kidney Institute Hospital on Phya Thai Road on Friday.
The victim, who was an ophthalmologist at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine, succumbed to her injuries soon after.
Pol Maj-General Nakarin Sukonthawvit, chief of Protection and Crowds Control Division, said while attending chanting rites on Monday night that he had spoken to Norawit earlier and the lance corporal was deeply sorry for the incident.
“He said he wanted to ordain to make merit for Dr Waralak and that this decision was entirely his own, with no influence from his superiors,” Nakarin said, adding that the law allows suspects to ordain as monks provided it is not being done to escape punishment and the suspect has not killed his birth parents.
Nakarin added that Norawit has proved that he had purchased the motorbike and was not using a confiscated vehicle as suspected by many.
Norawit has reportedly not yet made a decision on how long he will spend in monkhood.