Summary of the case: A man suffered a brain hemorrhage; police mistook him for a drunk driver, handcuffed him until he lost consciousness and his condition became critical.
On 4 Mar 2026 GMT+7, the Saimaimustsurvive page received a request for help. The wife sought justice through the page after her husband, seriously ill with cerebral artery blockage, suddenly suffered symptoms while driving. Unaware of his illness, he tried to drive into a gas station to ask for help but crashed into a parked motorcycle, causing damage.
When police arrived, instead of quickly assisting, they stood by without helping, assuming he was drunk. They radioed for a patrol unit, handcuffed the patient, threw him into the back of a pickup truck, and took him to the police station. Only later did they realize he was critically ill and not intoxicated. They then sent him to the hospital, but it was too late. Upon arrival, the patient was unconscious, and doctors said the delay caused a brain hemorrhage. He remains unconscious in hospital, with doctors advising relatives to prepare for the worst.
The family was devastated when reviewing video footage recorded by a bystander. It showed that when police reached the patient at the gas station, the patient turned to see them and made an SOS hand signal — an international distress signal used when one cannot speak. However, the police failed to understand this signal and did not provide assistance.
1. Beginning: On 1 Mar 2026 GMT+7, at about 03:00, Mr. Theeramit, 42, a fruit delivery driver, was driving from Talad Thai market to another province when he suddenly became ill. He experienced weakness in his limbs and slurred speech, so he tried to guide his vehicle into a gas station in Bang Pahan District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, to seek help.
2. Accident: Due to his illness affecting his control, his car grazed a motorcycle inside the station. Mr. Theeramit got out, staggering and fell, then tried to signal SOS for help. However, locals and rescuers who witnessed the scene mistook him for being drunk and called the police.
3. Arrest: Patrol officers arrived around 03:50 and assessed that the driver appeared heavily intoxicated. They handcuffed him and placed him in a police pickup truck to take him to Bang Pahan Police Station without conducting any breathalyzer test or evaluating his medical condition at the scene.
4. Critical condition: Upon arrival at the station, the patient’s condition deteriorated, he lost consciousness, and involuntarily urinated. Around 05:00, officers recognized abnormalities and sent him to Bang Pahan Hospital.
• Medical condition: Doctors diagnosed a brain hemorrhage (stroke) requiring urgent surgery. The patient remains in critical condition (coma) with a 50/50 chance of survival; parts of his brain have suffered permanent damage due to delayed treatment.
• Complaint: The patient’s wife filed a complaint with the Saimaimustsurvive page seeking justice, stating that police neglected to observe his condition despite clear physical signs, including a drooping face on one side, and ignored his attempts to signal for help.
• Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Provincial Police: They explained that officers followed protocol because the initial incident was a traffic accident and the driver appeared intoxicated and incoherent. Therefore, they restrained him for safety.
• Investigation committee: On 5 Mar 2026 GMT+7, the provincial police commander ordered a fact-finding committee to examine possible negligence and assured fairness for the victim’s family.
This case has sparked widespread criticism regarding police procedures for patient screening. It serves as an important lesson in distinguishing between symptoms of alcohol intoxication and cerebral ischemia, which outwardly can appear very similar.