Singer ‘Tik Shiro’ faces charges over fatal crash

Police have pressed several charges including drunk driving against singer and songwriter Manaswin “Tik Shiro” Nuntasane, whose van struck a motorcycle, killed a woman and seriously injured her brother in Bangkok last Thursday.
A blood test found Mr Manaswin’s blood alcohol level on the date of the crash exceeded the legal threshold, Pol Col Naren Khrueangsanook, chief of the Khan Na Yao police station, said on Tuesday.
Police have charged the 63-year-old singer with drunk driving causing death and severe injury, reckless driving causing death and severe injury, and damage to others’ property.
Police plan to call the singer and the affected party to discuss compensation and would bring the case to public prosecutors later, the station chief said.
The crash happened on a bridge on Sukhaphiban 5 Road in Sai Mai district of Bangkok at about 4am on Oct 10 when Tik Shiro’s van hit a man and a pillion rider who was his sister. The 21-year-old motorcyclist had parked the bike to let another sister pick up a water bottle she had dropped.
The crash instantly killed the 28-year-old pillion rider and threw the motorcyclist off the bridge onto the ground about 10 metres below. The sister who had got off the bike to collect her bottle survived.
Tik Shiro, 63, waited at the scene to surrender. He apologised profusely to the family and promised to take responsibility.
Police said a breathalyser was not administered at the crash scene due to chest pain that prevented the driver from blowing into the device. He was brought to the police station to have a blood sample taken.
The singer attended the cremation of the dead victim at a Buddhist temple in Bangkok on Tuesday.