Death of Year 10 student in Buriram: song thaew driver, other motorcyclist deny negligence

[webfact]

Death of Year 10 student in Buriram: song thaew driver, other motorcyclist deny negligence

 

 

TNews reported on the story of the M3 (Year 10) high school student who was killed riding his motorcycle on the way to take exams in Buriram on Monday morning.

 

Plai Nuanprakhon, 63, the 6 wheel song thaew driver that crushed the boy to death has told police that he did not flee the accident.

 

He said he saw the accident but didn't believe it involved him. He had no idea that he had run over the boy and just drove on.

 

While Sutthichai Somjit, 23, who was riding the motorcycle that came out of the side soi suddenly, also denied negligence. He blamed the deceased student who got tangled in his handlebars and hit the tarmac. It was not his fault that he was crushed under the wheels of the song thaew, he has claimed.

 

The police have charged the motorcyclist with negligence all the same.

 

But they are still investigating the song thaew driver and no charges of negligence or fleeing the scene of an accident have yet been made.

 

CCTV will form an important part of the evidence. It clearly caught what happened and has been viewed across social media.

 

TNews reported that the boy's mother and father cradled his lifeless body on the tarmac following the accident.

 

Source: TNews

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-03-08

 

[YetAnother]

12 minutes ago, webfact said:

He had no idea that he had run over the boy and just drove on.

defies belief; run over a human body and don't feel it ?

[Dmaxdan]

27 minutes ago, webfact said:

While Sutthichai Somjit, 23, who was riding the motorcycle that came out of the side soi suddenly, also denied negligence. He blamed the deceased student who got tangled in his handlebars and hit the tarmac. It was not his fault that he was crushed under the wheels of the song thaew, he has claimed.

You can see in the video that he doesn't look!!!  His head is at no point turned to the right, he doesn't slow down, he just rides straight out into the flow of traffic. Denied negligence?  This is manslaughter in my book. 

[colinneil]

The accident was caused by the idiot turning onto the main road, neither looking /slowing, just out, not even into the left, but straight out into the line of traffic.

The song thaew driver was not at fault over the accident, but was 100% at fault for not stopping.

[Jip99]

2 minutes ago, colinneil said:

The accident was caused by the idiot turning onto the main road, neither looking /slowing, just out, not even into the left, but straight out into the line of traffic.

The song thaew driver was not at fault over the accident, but was 100% at fault for not stopping.

 

 

 

+ 1

[z42]

6 minutes ago, colinneil said:

The accident was caused by the idiot turning onto the main road, neither looking /slowing, just out, not even into the left, but straight out into the line of traffic.

The song thaew driver was not at fault over the accident, but was 100% at fault for not stopping.

Completely agree Colin. If the CCTV has any role in establishing the cause of the accident this moronic individual should take the rap 100% for causing the crash.

The songthaew driver was going too fast and should have stopped, but I don't see how he could have avoided driving over the poor kid's body.

 

Cops here are a joke and a disgrace ? they need to man up and hammer the motorcycle rider who caused the crash. Nothing else would be acceptable imo 

[Bob12345]

Off course the motorbike driver denies responsibility. Why would he confess now?

 

He will just wait till he gets convicted, then decides to testify it was his mistake, and his penalty will be halved.

[realfunster]

The other motorbike rider at fault, clear as day.

One of my pet peeves when driving is the all too regular motorbike turn left without looking. 

What I noticed in the picture of the scene is that the joining road has a stop line for cars but the slip/motorbike lane just continues unabated onto the main road. They should change the lane markings to make it clear motorbikes need to stop and check as well. 

[connda]

There is the absolute classic example of a motorcycle merging from a side street onto a thoroughfare with bothering to even look to the right for oncoming traffic. 

I could make an hour long video from my dash cam showing example after example after example of this type of suicidal insanity.  But this time, the MC rider kills someone. Yes he is to blame. 

But the larger blame rests directly on the Thai government for not taking any proactive measures to stop this kind of 'failure to yield' insanity that kills, literally, thousands every year. 

This is completely senseless, but typifies the carnage that plagues Thai roads.  RIP young man.

Edited March 8, 2018 by connda

[nev]

I have given up a long time ago trying to understand the Thai mentality bon the roads here, They think they have the right of way and you are the one who has to give way to them instead of the other way round in our home countries.

For one example entering a roundabout rule is give way to the right but no here you go around the roundabout and they just pull straight out 

[pi2005ni]

8 minutes ago, realfunster said:

The other motorbike rider at fault, clear as day.

One of my pet peeves when driving is the all too regular motorbike turn left without looking. 

What I noticed in the picture of the scene is that the joining road has a stop line for cars but the slip/motorbike lane just continues unabated onto the main road. They should change the lane markings to make it clear motorbikes need to stop and check as well. 

I thought checking would be automatically common sense , opps forgot I was in Thailand, they don’t do common sense . So sad to see a young guy going to do his exams riding sensibly getting wiped out by this <deleted> . And it happens every day .

[Toscano]

From seeing the film , there is No doubt the motorcyclist coming out of a side turning caused the accident .

I understand that many motorcyclists and car drivers think main road traffic has to give way to vehicles emerging  from a side turning .

The Songthaw driver must surely have felt an unusual bump in the road , but I would guess he would not have seen the man fall so close in front of him .

[connda]

1 hour ago, colinneil said:

The accident was caused by the idiot turning onto the main road, neither looking /slowing, just out, not even into the left, but straight out into the line of traffic.

The song thaew driver was not at fault over the accident, but was 100% at fault for not stopping.

The Song Thaew driver clearly attempts to avoid the motorcyclist, but then drives off.  You don't avoid something you don't see.  This driver is not at fault for the collision, but very much is at fault for hit-and-run and they lying about it.  The entire incident is an absolute classic example of Thai driving that is responsible for slaughtering more people on the roads than any other country in the world. 

Edited March 8, 2018 by connda

[4MyEgo]

15 minutes ago, realfunster said:

The other motorbike rider at fault, clear as day.

One of my pet peeves when driving is the all too regular motorbike turn left without looking. 

What I noticed in the picture of the scene is that the joining road has a stop line for cars but the slip/motorbike lane just continues unabated onto the main road. They should change the lane markings to make it clear motorbikes need to stop and check as well. 

Good observation, but I don't think you can call the break down lane, a lane for motorbike riders, they use it for their own convenience as was the case here from the merging rider who failed to stop and look to his right before proceeding into the break down lane if you like, as we all do at times, and then move into the lane as we proceed with caution.

 

The guy coming onto the road without stopping is clearly at fault, the bus driver should have stopped, even though her knew there was an accident.

 

I cannot believe how people do not stop here when there is an accident, oh, no time, keep going, the guy who caused the accident was more concerned about himself and his mobile, than rendering any kind of assistance, and then doesn't man up.

 

Throw him in the slammer for 10 years !!! 

 

Fine the bus driver for not stopping after an accident, and take his licence away for a year at the least.

Edited March 8, 2018 by 4MyEgo

[IamNoone88]

Sutthichai Somjit; time to man up for once in your life. You are pathetic.

[mr_lob]

1 hour ago, nev said:

I have given up a long time ago trying to understand the Thai mentality bon the roads here, They think they have the right of way and you are the one who has to give way to them instead of the other way round in our home countries.

For one example entering a roundabout rule is give way to the right but no here you go around the roundabout and they just pull straight out 

Yep - they treat them like junctions. Idiots . So <deleted> dangerous

[dotpoom]

1 hour ago, Dmaxdan said:

You can see in the video that he doesn't look!!!  His head is at no point turned to the right, he doesn't slow down, he just rides straight out into the flow of traffic. Denied negligence?  This is manslaughter in my book. 

Right on,.... if he claims he wasn't negligent then he delibrately drove out from the side Soi with the intention of hitting the boy on the motorbike....he can take his pick?

[Mattd]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

While Sutthichai Somjit, 23, who was riding the motorcycle that came out of the side soi suddenly, also denied negligence. He blamed the deceased student who got tangled in his handlebars and hit the tarmac. It was not his fault that he was crushed under the wheels of the song thaew, he has claimed.

Amazing, despite the video evidence that clearly show that he was at fault and yet he denies it, even has the gall to blame the dead lad.........

Unfortunately this is the way that they think, as coming out of side road on to a main road without slowing or looking is normal here, so normal that he genuinely thinks he has done nothing wrong.

 

[Toscano]

The HARD SHOULDER divided from the highway is not technically a motorcycle lane < although used as such for safety .

The motorcyclist emerging from the side turning was clearly nod adhering to the hard should and drove straight out into the traffic without looking .

I frequently see motorcyclists do the same and car drivers .

[mogandave]

I dove truck for a while, and it’s not hard fo me to believe the driver thought he missed the kid. 

 

Looks like he swerved to avoid at the same time the kid was run over.

[Mattd]

1 minute ago, Toscano said:

The HARD SHOULDER divided from the highway is not technically a motorcycle lane < although used as such for safety .

The motorcyclist emerging from the side turning was clearly nod adhering to the hard should and drove straight out into the traffic without looking .

I frequently see motorcyclists do the same and car drivers .

I was under the impression that motorbikes are required to be inboard of that white line?

[mogandave]

I was under the impression that motorbikes are required to be inboard of that white line?

I was under the impression they could ride wherever they like.

[Borzandy]

1 hour ago, colinneil said:

The accident was caused by the idiot turning onto the main road, neither looking /slowing, just out, not even into the left, but straight out into the line of traffic.

The song thaew driver was not at fault over the accident, but was 100% at fault for not stopping.

The song thaew driver could at least have tried to brake.

[Mattd]

1 minute ago, mogandave said:

 

I was under the impression they could ride wherever they like.

 

Well, this is true................. technically though, I do think that they are meant to be inside of the white line.

[mogandave]

The song thaew driver could at least have tried to brake.

The song thaew had no time to brake.

Barely had time to swerve...

[sateuk]

At the start of video the 1St bike that comes out of side road slows and is well inside bike lane.  If the other guy had slowed slightly he would of come on main road well inside white line then accident would never have happened hope he gets life in prison he deserves it

[Toscano]

1 minute ago, Borzandy said:

The song thaew driver could at least have tried to brake.

The Songthaew was so close to where the young man fell that I do not believe he would have seen the accident ; he would likely have felt an unusual bump and may have heard the noise of motorcycles crashing .  Were there no people in the back of the songthaew ?

[newcomer71]

Both of them are pathetic... I hope karma will hit back soon and hard.

Disgusted.

[MaxLee]

Clearly the other motor bikers fault, crisp and clear. He didn't give a SH***** to look to left..... 

 

Nobody fault,.... because too scared to lose face.....

[cardinalblue]

The 23 year old has done this behavior 1000 times before so in his mind he sees nothing wrong with it...it all points to lack of involvement and training....

 

clearly he he did not stop but rolls thru a stop and merges with the traffic expecting others to yield to his  poor driving behaviors...

 

if the thai court system has any balls, he should be charged with the maximum sentence and serve time....it would be a great training tool and lesson  for the other 1000s plus drivers who commit the same infraction....

 

this is was not an unusual occurrence and the Thai courts should jump all over this...if they truly want to change driving behavior in this country....my guess is they won't b/c they're p.....

 

biggest problems in LOS....lack of accountability and holding others accountable