PHNOM PENH, June 21 (Xinhua) -- A road crash that badly injured Cambodian Prince Norodom Ranariddh and killed his wife Ouk Phalla was a "genuine accident," a senior police officer said Thursday after probe.
The couple's car crashed head-on with a taxi traveling in the opposite direction on the National Road No. 4 in southwestern Preah Sihanouk province on Sunday morning. Seven people in the taxi also sustained injuries.
Deputy National Police Chief Him Yan blamed taxi driver Mil Saret, 34, for the fatal crash and said the neglected taxi driver, who was also injured in the accident, has been charged with careless driving causing casualties.
"The accident happened because the taxi driver drove very fast and carelessly overtook another car in front of him, and slammed into the prince's car," he said during a press conference in Phnom Penh. "After our thorough investigation, we concluded that it was a genuine accident that caused by Mil Saret, who drove very fast and carelessly."
Ranariddh is currently the president of Funcinpec Party and president of the Supreme Privy Advisory Council to Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, his half-brother.
The 74-year-old prince, who is a son of late King Father Norodom Sihanouk, was a former co-prime minister from 1993 to 1997 and ex-president of the National Assembly from 1998 to 2006.
Funcinpec Party's secretary general Yim Savy told Xinhua on Monday that Ranariddh suffered broken ribs and right leg's calf bone during the crash.
He added that the prince was in "stable condition" and was airlifted to a hospital in Thailand on Sunday night for further medical checkup and treatment.
According to Savy, the prince and his wife were travelling in a BMW along with a motorcade consisting of other party senior members to meet their supporters in Preah Sihanouk province when they met the crash.
Both Ranariddh and Phalla were standing as lawmaker-candidates in Cambodia's national election, which is scheduled for July 29, 2018.
