A Siem Reap provincial forestry official hit and injured a woman on a motorbike with his Range Rover while driving drunk on Sunday afternoon, police said.
Tea Kimsoth, cantonment chief of Siem Reap provincial forestry administration, drove away from the scene of the accident after plowing into Hy Horn, 23, with his SUV, said Vann Vireak, provincial chief of traffic police.
“The victim was injured on her heel and her motorbike was badly damaged,” he said.
Mr. Vireak said that his officers chased down Mr. Kimsoth and brought him and the victim together to a local police station, where Mr. Kimsoth compensated Ms. Horn.
“The victim’s motorbike was worth $1,200 dollars and the suspect paid her that amount and took the broken motorbike,” he said, adding that Mr. Vireak also paid for Ms. Horn’s hospital treatment.
“She got $225 more from the suspect to treat her injury in the hospital,” he said.
The accident took place at 4 p.m. near the Angkor National Museum, on a well-traveled access road to the Angkor Archaeological Park, Mr. Vireak said.
Mr. Kimsoth admitted Monday that he did not stop after the accident, but blamed Ms. Horn for the collision.
“The motorbike’s driver hit the right front wheel of my car,” he said. “After we crashed, I continued driving and called my official to deal with the problem.
“I could not stop because I was afraid to have a problem. So I came home and left my official to deal with the accident.”
When asked if he had been drinking alcohol while driving, Mr. Kimsoth hung up the phone.
Chin Soeun, an uncle of the victim, said that Ms. Horn was injured on her left heel and had six stitches, but has been released from the hospital.
