A fatal road crash in Phnom Penh’s Sen Sok district and the female driver’s flight from the scene have drawn widespread attention. As of July 30, Phnom Penh police commissioner ជួន ណារិន្ទ had ordered officers to pursue សាម ម៉ីជូ, the woman suspected of the hit-and-run, and to investigate strictly in accordance with the law. The driver’s family had contacted the deceased victim’s family to discuss civil compensation, but police stressed that payment could not remove her legal responsibility.
According to the police investigation, the crash occurred at about 11:30 p.m. on July 28 on a road near the AEON 2 shopping centre in Sen Sok district. A 27-year-old woman, សាម ម៉ីជូ, was driving an AVATR 11 new-energy vehicle with registration V.C.8989. She allegedly attempted an illegal overtaking manoeuvre, entered the opposing lane and collided violently with an oncoming Honda motorcycle. The motorcyclist died at the scene and was identified as an employee of Cambodia’s Ministry of Public Works and Transport.
The report states that after the crash, សាម ម៉ីជូ did not fulfil the legal duties of providing assistance, notifying police and remaining at the scene, but left in a tuk-tuk, describing her conduct as a hit-and-run. In the early hours of July 30, commissioner ជួន ណារិន្ទ called publicly on his official Facebook page for her to stop evading police, surrender voluntarily and cooperate with the investigation.
ជួន ណារិន្ទ said police had launched a dedicated search, deploying specialist officers to trace her movements while collecting evidence and determining the cause of the crash. They were also investigating whether anyone had helped her hide or evade legal sanctions. Anyone found to have done so would be held strictly accountable under the law.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has previously stressed repeatedly that law enforcement agencies must uphold the law in fatal traffic cases and hold those responsible legally accountable without discrimination, regardless of their identity, occupation or nationality. Financial compensation must not exempt them from their legal responsibility.
Justice Ministry spokesperson 沈迪纳 also explained the application of the law to such cases. According to the account of Cambodian law, drivers who cause a death in a traffic crash face criminal responsibility as well as civil compensation to the victim’s family. If an investigation establishes drink-driving or driving while intoxicated, a driver who causes a death faces two to five years in prison and a fine of 10 million to 25 million riel, approximately US$2,500 to US$6,250.
The investigation, collection of evidence and search for the suspect in this fatal Phnom Penh hit-and-run case were continuing. Police would announce further developments in due course.
