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A commercial airline pilot was shot and injured in an apparent road rage incident near Suvarnabhumi airport on Wednesday night.
Poolwit Ruengdech, a Thai Airways captain, shows the bandaged wound from a gunshot fired at him on the motorway near Suvarnabhumi airport on Wednesday night.
The Thai Airways flight captain, Poolwit Ruengdech, was driving to work when shots were fired at him on the motorway leading to the airport.
Mr Poolwit was hit in the left shoulder, Pol Col Thienchai Kamapaso, superintendent of Prawet police station, said.
He was treated at Samitivej Srinakarin hospital and is in a stable condition.
Pol Col Thienchai said Mr Poolwit, 53, was scheduled to pilot a flight to Athens that night.
At 10pm, he was passing the Thab Chang section on the motorway when a white Toyota Fortuner came up behind his BMW.
The Fortuner’s lights were on high beam and were so bright he could not see the vehicle’s reflection in his rear-view mirror.
Mr Poolwit moved into the left lane to allow the Fortuner to overtake him and flashed his headlights to alert the driver that its headlights were too bright.
He then overtook the Fortuner because he was in a hurry to get to the airport.
Police said the Fortuner tailgated him, flashed its headlights repeatedly and then drove to the left side of his car.
The pilot said a red beam from what appeared to be a laser-guided firearm was aimed at him.
The Fortuner then slowed down and tucked in behind his car.
Mr Poolwit said he heard multiple gunshots.
His car windows were shattered and a shot hit him in the left shoulder.
‘‘The driver came after me and fired at least seven more shots,’’ Mr Poolwit told police.
He said he tried to evade the Fortuner which continued to follow him. He made a quick decision to pull off the motorway and drove to the aviation operations centre at the Suvarnabhumi airport to find help.
Pol Col Thienchai said the road rage almost certainly was provoked by the flashing of Mr Poolwit’s headlights.
Police are checking footage of a surveillance camera installed at Lat Krabang toll gate.
The firearm used to shoot Mr Poolwit is believed to be an automatic weapon.
Pol Col Anat Kledmanee, deputy chief of the Metropolitan Police Division 4, said the Fortuner headed in the direction of Chon Buri after the shots were fired.
He said it would be difficult to trace the Fortuner as it carried a red licence plate, the temporary plate fitted to new cars before they are registered with the Land Transport Department.