The Wangdue Phodrang police are charging an ambulance driver of Wangdue Phodrang Hospital for the death of a policeman. The ambulance he was driving hit the 49-year-old deceased near the Wangdue Bridge early last month.
The case was forwarded to the district court on Thursday.
The police are charging the 36-year-old ambulance driver under sections 65 and 66 of the Road Safety and Transport Authority Act 1999 which state of dangerous and culpable driving. As per section 65, the offender is liable for imprisonment of at least six months or as the court determines, or to a penalty or both. Besides, the police is also requesting the court to direct the accused to pay compensation to the relatives of the deceased.
According to sources, the police is stating that the driver used the emergency lights of the ambulance without a patient inside. Moreover, the vehicle did not get to the right side of the road after overtaking another vehicle. The driver is accused of overspeeding considering the skid marks of about 90 feet long caused by the ambulance tires at the accident site.
Going by the investigation report, the ambulance hit the policeman while on its way to Gaselo to pick up a patient on 4th September. As per the report, the incident happened when the ambulance was trying to avoid an approaching vehicle right after overtaking a truck. The deceased was standing next to the police duty room. He was immediately taken to Wangdue hospital and referred to the National Referral Hospital in Thimphu. He succumbed to a head injury five days later at the hospital.
Changa Dorji
