A 17 year old schoolgirl jumped from a moving motorcycle in Bangkok after a Bolt rider drove past her destination and refused to stop.
Witnesses and motorists helped the female student after she fell at an intersection on Phet Kasem 81 Road in Nong Khaem district at around 1am yesterday, April 23.
Dashcam footage from a motorcyclist who stopped to help showed the student in a school uniform jumping from the motorcycle and falling in the middle of the intersection. The rider sped away from the scene as the girl called for help.
The student said she booked a motorcycle taxi through the Bolt app from the Rama 2 area to her home in Bang Bon district. She said the motorcycle that arrived was not the one shown in the app, but she accepted the ride as unmatched drivers are common among app-based riders.
During the trip, the rider stopped to buy a kratom drink, making the girl feel uncomfortable. She then began recording him on her phone.
The rider later failed to stop at her home. The student said she told him to stop, but he sped up. She continued recording and shouted at him to stop, while he allegedly tried to knock the phone from her hand.
People who helped the girl contacted rescuers, who accompanied her to a police station to file a complaint. Her family was also contacted to pick her up.
Police later identified the rider as 22 year old Tin Chaoklong and seized his red Honda Wave motorcycle as evidence. Officers said he had been using his father’s Bolt account to provide rides.
Tin claimed he had no harmful intention and said the girl had pinned the wrong destination in the application. When asked whether he used GPS, he did not respond.
Police also questioned why he did not stop after the girl jumped if he had done nothing wrong. Tin claimed several cars were following behind him, so he did not stop to avoid an accident.
The rider admitted he was addicted to kratom drinks and cannabis. Police conducted a drug test, but the result was not disclosed.
Tin was charged under Section 310 of the Criminal Law for unlawful detention, which carries a penalty of up to three years in prison, a fine of up to 60,000 baht, or both. He also faces a fine of up to 2,000 baht and possible licence suspension for using a private vehicle for public transport under Section 21 of the Land Transport Act.
