The wife of Kep provincial governor Ken Satha was killed in a car accident as the couple travelled with their daughter from Kampot to Kep on National Road 33 on Thursday night, police said.

“The governor tried to avoid an approaching motorbike, causing the car to somersault,” said Ung Samol, chief of police in Kep province. Satha’s wife, Song Sorideth, 60, died instantly, while Satha and his daughter escaped with minor injuries.

“If governor Ken Satha had crashed into the motorbike, he and his family would be fine, but he tried to avoid hitting the driver who was transporting his wife and baby,” Samol said.

The road was in bad condition due to construction, and the motorbike’s headlights were not turned on.

“She [Sorideth] had a good relationship with the population,” Samol said.

No complaint has been filed against the motorcycle driver, he added. “But I am not sure if he will do so after his wife’s cremation.”