The suspect, who was fleeing after crashing into a policeman’s motorcycle, went on to hit 10 other vehicles and then caused a pile-up of 28 vehicles in a 5-kilometre stretch of Sukhumvit Soi 63. The incident also caused severe traffic jams.

Upon hearing of the accidents at 1pm, police rushed to the scene to find 26 cars and two motorcycles hit by the truck from the middle to the start of the soi, where the truck was parked after having run out of petrol.

The truck driver, identified as Ekkaphot Yossiri, 27, reportedly fled towards Ekamai Skytrain Station on foot, where he was surrounded by some 20 people who had given chase.

City police chief Lt-General Sanit Mahathaworn told the press later yesterday that Ekkaphot confessed to being high on drugs, a claim that was backed by a positive urine test and 1.93 grams of “ice” in his possession.

A police investigation found that Ekkaphot had driven from Saphan Khwai area to Rajaprarop Road, where he ran over a Phya Thai policeman’s personal motorcycle but did not stop to help. Seeing the truck flee the scene, the policeman alerted his fellow officers to stop the truck, which then crashed into some 10 vehicles along the way from Rajaprarop intersection, Pratunam intersection to Phetchaburi Road, before turning into Thong Lor and heading for Ekamai Road. The driver kept speeding despite police shooting at the truck’s wheels and did not stop until the truck had run out of fuel, Sanit said.

Police will initially press charges of reckless driving, possessing illicit drugs, taking drugs and fleeing an accident scene without informing the authorities, Sanit said, adding that more charges will be filed after further investigation.

Sanit said Ekkaphot had been prosecuted for drug charges on four occasions in 2011, 2013, 2014 and July 2016.

Ekkaphot said he was heading back to his employer Chaipiwat Co’s base in Sam Yan area when he spotted police and got frightened he would get caught for using “ice”. Ekkaphot had said he had been using ice for over three years, and had had no accidents, but this time he was “out of his mind” over a personal relationship and could not control himself in time.