Two Vietnamese nationals were seriously injured on Monday night after a suspected drunk driver smashed into their noodle cart on Phnom Penh’s Monivong Boulevard and fled the scene before crashing into an electricity pole a kilometer away, police said.
A white Range Rover with no number plates, being driven by a man with four female passengers, was speeding through Daun Penh district at about 11 p.m. when it swerved and crashed into the pair and their cart, according to deputy municipal traffic police chief Sem Kunthea.
Relatives rushed the cart’s owners, Le Dung Thuong, 41, and Thy Huong, 28, to Calmette Hospital with serious injuries, he added.
Nim Phalla, Ms. Huong’s husband, said he chased the SUV on his motorbike after the crash and witnessed the driver crash again and then flee on foot with two women while two other women stayed behind and were briefly questioned at the scene by police.
“I asked police why they released the two women and they told me that they were not involved with the case because they had just met the driver at Sky Club where they drank beer,” Mr. Phalla said.
Mr. Kunthea denied that two women were questioned at the scene.
Thorng Sophin, deputy head of the municipal traffic accident office, said a meeting between a representative of the driver and representatives of the victims took place at the municipal police office, but said he did not know the driver’s identity.
“I do not know the car’s owner but one representative was sent for a meeting with the victims’ families at my office to talk about compensation,” Mr. Sophin said.
“I am not sure whether the driver will face charges after paying compensation because this is the decision of my boss,” he added.
Um Sophannarith, a younger brother of Mr. Thuong who joined Tuesday’s meeting, said that no agreement was reached.
“The representative asked how much compensation I wanted,” he said. “I told him we needed $3,000, but the representative told us that he needs to check the hospital bill and he will let us know later.”
