Cambodian authorities have launched a nationwide manhunt and sealed border crossings as they search for the daughter of a prominent businessman who allegedly fled after a fatal traffic collision in Phnom Penh.
The 27-year-old suspect, identified by police as Sam Meiju, is accused of causing a crash that killed a government official before leaving the scene.
The case has drawn widespread public attention, with many Cambodians calling for equal enforcement of the law regardless of wealth or status.
Police Block Escape Routes
Lieutenant General Choun Narin, Deputy Commissioner-General of Cambodia’s National Police and Phnom Penh Municipal Police Commissioner, said authorities have sealed all border crossings and activated a nationwide search for the suspect.
In a public message posted on social media, he urged the 27-year-old to surrender.
“Stop trying to run away. Surrender yourself at any police unit. Show some courage.”
Police also warned that anyone found helping the suspect hide or flee could face legal action.
Later that evening, the suspect’s father, businessman Oknha Tong Hok Seng, met with police while officers continued searching for his daughter.
Victim Was Government Official
According to investigators, the crash occurred at around 11.30pm on 28 July along Street 1003 in Phnom Penh’s Sen Sok district.
Police allege the suspect was driving an Avatr 11 when the vehicle crossed into the opposite lane while attempting to overtake another car before colliding head-on with a Honda Scoopy motorcycle.
The rider, 35-year-old Kuoch Limhan, died at the scene.
Authorities said the victim worked as an official with Cambodia’s Construction and Public Works Laboratory under the Ministry of Public Works and Transport.
Both the electric vehicle and the motorcycle have been seized as part of the ongoing investigation.
Public Calls For Equal Justice
The case has generated intense discussion across Cambodian social media, with many urging authorities to ensure the suspect is arrested and prosecuted regardless of her family’s influence.
Cambodia’s Justice Minister Koeut Rith previously stressed that fleeing after causing a fatal traffic accident constitutes a separate criminal offence from the crash itself.
He said authorities would continue prioritising serious traffic cases and hold offenders accountable under the law.
Police have not announced any arrests, and the search for the suspect remains ongoing.