Authorities in Mondolkiri Province on Sunday arrested five people in connection with a car crash that left two military police officers dead following an altercation over a woman at a local karaoke parlor.
Provincial military police officers Ork Chetra, 23, and Chea Samnang, 22, died at the scene of the crash in Sen Monorom City after a Lexus SUV rear-ended their motorbike at about 1:45 a.m. Sunday and dragged it several meters, according to Yim Chenda, provincial deputy traffic police chief.
“The car must have been driving fast and did not brake because it dragged the victims’ motorbike about 75 meters before it crashed into an electrical pole and then into the fence of a house,” he said.
“The driver fled the scene and five people were arrested, including three people who were traveling in the vehicle [the SUV] and two others at a guesthouse.”
Mr. Chenda said a local guesthouse owner claimed that the crash was no accident.
“It may be revenge, because someone said that before the incident the two parties were involved in a fight at a karaoke parlor; the car followed and crashed into the motorbike to kill the victims,” he said.
Mr. Chenda said one of the arrested passengers he questioned claimed that the fight was over a woman. He said the passenger claimed he was hit two or three times either by a police officer or a military police officer during a fight at the karaoke parlor and that he was asleep in the SUV when the crash occurred.
He said the military police were holding the five suspects and handling the case because the victims were also military police.
Sen Monorom military police commander Sun Danith declined to comment.
“I cannot tell you anything right now because we are still working on this case and the investigation is ongoing,” he said.
