Rigoberto Ignacio, 68, aka “Guchi” died after his motorbike was hit by a car in Wichit, Phuket early morning Wednesday, April 17. Guchi is best described by his friends as one of best Filipino drummers in Thailand’s largest island.
Guchi is survived by his two children. He had a Thai wife who already passed away years ago due to cancer.
According to police, Capt Chatree Chuwichien of Wichit Police was notified of the accident at around 1:30am and arrived at the scene at the intersection of Kwang Rd and Chao Fa West Rd in Wichit to find a man lying unconscious on the road bleeding heavily from the head in front of a Phuket-registered White Mercedes Benz S500 car that was damaged at the front.
A helmet was found on the road next to the man’s body. Approximately 15 metres away was a Phuket-registered Honda Wave motorbike lying damaged on the road, the report added.
“Magaling na drummer, kilala, maraming kaibigan,” said Teresa Sarmiento of ACTION-Association of Concerned Filipinos in Thailand.
Guchi had lived in Thailand since 1996. He also worked in Japan (Okinawa), China, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand. At the moment, Ignacio’s body is still in Vachira Phuket Hospital morgue while waiting for investigation.
Sarmiento also added that she learned from the police that driver of the Mercedes, 48-year-old Cambodian national, Le Minh Thi is now being detained.
The driver confessed to drink-driving and was arrested and charged with drunk driving causing death and damage to property. A murder case is also being studied by the police in accordance with Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon’s order on April 5 for police to charge speeding and drunk motorists who cause fatal accidents during the Songkran holiday with murder.
Both the Association of Thailand (AFT) Phuket President Maria Veleddie Foz and migrant group ACTION are coordinating with Ignacio’s family, the police and the Philippine Embassy on the cleaning and release of Ignacios’ body from the morgue. Philippine Embassy officials are expected to visit Ignacio’s body when they arrive in Phuket on Friday for the annual Consular Outreach activity in the province.
Source: Phuket News