Thai students’ accident in US not linked to other incident nearby : US authorities
Local authorities in California say there is no connection between an accident where two Thai students remain trapped in their car in Kings River and a separate incident nearby involving another couple from San Diego.
The Thai Consulate General Office in Los Angeles said on Facebook that it received confirmation from Fresno Sheriff’s Office that the accident involving Thiwadee Sangsuriyarit, 24, and Bhakapon Chairatanatongporn, 28, took place on July 26.
The other accident, which happened near the location where the Thai students are believed to have plunged into a 150-metre deep gorge, involved a couple with Asian ancestry from San Diego. They were last seen on August 6.
Some have linked the two incidents together, suggesting that the Thai students’ rental car crashed with the other couple’s vehicle, resulting in both vehicles plunging over the cliff.
The second incident was spotted by the Fresno sheriff’s office who noticed the San Diego couple’s licence plate on a video while investigating the Thai students’ accident.
According to the Thai consulate, the second accident happened 36-37 feet away from the location where the Thai students went over the cliff.
“The river current swept the (couple’s) car along past the Thai student’s car that got stuck on rocks in the middle of the Kings’ river,” the consulate said. The second car then sank into a deep pool of the river, said the Consulate’s FB page.