Sihanoukville police arrested four men on Friday night for allegedly beating up two Chinese nationals – one of whom was seriously injured – after they were involved in a traffic accident, police said yesterday.

“The badly injured Chinese man was sent to Phnom Penh for treatment, while the other one is at Preah Sihanouk Provincial Hospital,” deputy police chief Kol Phally said yesterday. “Fortunately, no one died in the incident.”

Phally identified the suspects as Mut Vannak, 30, the motorbike’s driver; Near Vutha, 25; Eang Somrang, also known as Pov, 30; and Mao Sambath, also known as A Thom, 23.

The accident occurred in front of the Provincial Referral Hospital. According to Phally, victim Chen Zhen Xiang, 35, was driving his car down the street when Vannak’s motorbike veered into his lane and hit him head on.

Chen called his friend Chen Tin, 26, for help, but when the other man arrived, the group of Cambodians allegedly set upon them.

The beating continued until one of the men was seriously injured, Phally said, because bystanders were too scared to intervene.