Mother of killed woman demands police interrogate Chidlom building owners
The mother of a woman who was killed when a power pole fell on her motorcycle on Soi Chidlom in Lumpini district in May on Tuesday asked Lumpini police to speed up the investigation, saying it had been six months but there had not been any progress.
A tree in front of the Alma Link building in Soi Chidlom was uprooted in soft soil and fell on power poles during a storm on May 13, with a pole then falling on Natchaphat Somjaet, 25, who was stopped on a motorcycle at a traffic light. She died at the scene and two other motorcyclists were injured.
Police claimed in May that the owner of the building would be called for questioning. The tree reportedly was planted 20 years ago when the office building was built.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha also expressed his condolences to the victim’s family at the time and ordered that help be provided to her family.
Nattapimon Somjaet, Natchaphat mother, and lawyer Wichien Chubtai submitted a petition to Pol Colonel Noppa Thongbor and Pol Colonel Passakorn Kanju at Lumpini police station.
Nattapimon tearfully asked police to expedite the investigation and summon people who had been involved in the incident for questioning to prevent a similar accident in the future.
She said police had told her that they had not questioned the owners of the building that were responsible for the tree.
She added that she believed the case would be relegated to the status of a cold case if she did not fight for her daughter.
Wichien said in the last six months police had only questioned and charged a tree maintenance employee, who had been charged with recklessness that led to death.
According to the lawyer, police have not yet filed charges against the owners. “The investigators have issued summons for the tree owners to meet with police but they claimed they were engaged with business abroad.”