Video: Not again! Pick-up refuses to let ambulance pass - victim dies of drowning as a result

 

 

Daily News reported on yet another case of a driver refusing to make way for an ambulance in a desperate life and death race.

 

A video posted by the ambulance driver to Facebook showed the pick-up continuing in the right lane despite sirens wailing behind.

 

Driver Weera Boonjit attached to Nong Phai Hospital in Petchabun told Daily News Online that he thought the pick-up driver might not have heard him.

 

So twice he spoke on the loudspeaker to implore the rude driver to get out of the way. 

 

After more than a minute the driver finally pulled over.

 

But the damage was done because this delay was vital. The hospital had been contacted by a member of the public about a dying potential victim of drowning at the Sapsomphu Waterfall.

 

The member of the public had decided to take the victim in his own transport and meet the ambulance at an agreed spot. But due to the delayed ambulance the meeting was not kept - and the victim died before the ambulance could get to there to give help.

 

Weera also replied to some people online who asked why he didn't undertake to the left. 

 

He said there was smoke from burning creating danger and because it was a built up area with slow moving vehicles and motorbikes on the left he would be putting the five person crew of the ambulance as well as other people at risk by moving to the left.

 

Daily News are running a campaign to try and get Thai drivers to improve their habits. So far it seems to have fallen on deaf ears though in their story they admitted that many more polite and aware drivers had already moved over to let the ambulance through before this incident occurred. 

 

 

Source: https://www.dailynews.co.th/regional/640039

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-4-25

Don't need to waste money to run campaign. People here don't give a damn on the road.

this is happening so often I had to check the date as I thought it was last weeks headline re-run...

Thais will. Never learn. Thailand is Lawless. Until Thai people obey Thai law  nothing will change.

Also if the so called medics where probly trained  they could have resusitated the person with just better training.Nobody needs to die from drowning if caught quickly enough.

The  dip shit driver should have moved, but think 

also the skill of the ambulance driver is in question when  not confident to use his

 speed to pass on the left, when you get meatheads like this who will not move,

21 minutes ago, Thongkorn said:

Thais will. Never learn. Thailand is Lawless. Until Thai people obey Thai law  nothing will change.

Also if the so called medics where probly trained  they could have resusitated the person with just better training.Nobody needs to die from drowning if caught quickly enough.

"Also if the so called medics where probly trained  they could have resusitated the person with just better training.Nobody needs to die from drowning if caught quickly enough."

And here is the reason the victim died............

The member of the public had decided to take the victim in his own transport and meet the ambulance at an agreed spot. But due to the delayed ambulance the meeting was not kept - and the victim died before the ambulance could get to there to give help.

No blame to the ambulance crew, medics, they never even got close to the victim.....until they were dead.

Edited April 25, 20188 yr by ratcatcher

1 hour ago, Thongkorn said:

Thais will. Never learn. Thailand is Lawless. Until Thai people obey Thai law  nothing will change.

Also if the so called medics where probly trained  they could have resusitated the person with just better training.Nobody needs to die from drowning if caught quickly enough.

 

Thailand is a developing country. The culture Thais immerse themselves in from birth is toxic in so many ways, OK for the stone age or the Serengetti perhaps but not OK at all for the 21st Century on the fringes of the civilised world.

 

Whilst it is understandable, interfering in their lives by trying to apply developed-world cultures to them is a recipe for disappointment and it'll confuse the living Bejasus out of them anyway. Personally I think the approach of naturalists when studying animals in the wild is the right one for developing peoples as well - don't interfere, even to save a life that the natural course of events has decided should end.

 

I know it's painful, disappointing and unnecessary, but in my opinion, to allow their culture to adapt to modern living or die out - either way, under their own steam - is probably the only realistic approach to take. Thais do not want our advice or the benefit of our experience, they only want our money and I for one have decided they've had more than their share of that so they'll have to look elsewhere.

 

Thrive or die out, it's their decision, I'm happy to let them make it, to remain a detached onlooker and to learn, even in my dotage, from watching the behaviour of a nation in the middle stages of euthanasing itself. Might be wrong but I don't think there is anything we can do to help them and I stopped trying more or less as soon as I came to that conclusion. Allow them to work through the natural consequences of being a failing society, they'll work it out. Or not.

 

Sorry not to be more positive but I have learned the hard way to watch stupidity and the consequences of stupidity with alacrity. At least that way I can avoid doing some of the truly bizarre things they do.

 

Edited April 25, 20188 yr by KiwiKiwi

Under a military govt the least each province should expect is some sort of air ambulance service; 

'Hearts and minds' an' all that...

 

Edited April 25, 20188 yr by evadgib

What a pair of idiots.

Pick up could have moved over.

Rescue vehicle could have gone up the inside, there was loads of time to do that. But was more interested in pointing a finger at the truck driver, instead of acting. he should not be driving a rescue vehicle.

Idiots on Thai roads,   are two a penny here. 

 

 

 

Edited April 25, 20188 yr by stanleycoin

9 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Daily News reported on yet another case of a driver refusing to make way for an ambulance in a desperate life and death race.

 

A video posted by the ambulance driver to Facebook showed the pick-up continuing in the right lane despite sirens wailing behind.

self-centeredness, sure it exists everywhere, but the level here is off the scale, a staple of thainess

8 hours ago, leeneeds said:

The  dip shit driver should have moved, but think 

also the skill of the ambulance driver is in question when  not confident to use his

 speed to pass on the left, when you get meatheads like this who will not move,

The  dip shit driver should have moved, TOTALLY AGREE. Many on the road are "unconscious." Or as this example might be b/c this ignorant individual intends to make a U turn somewhere down the road. Do Thais have enough skill to slow down (in the left lane) until safe to near the U turn? Doesn't seem like it. I've observed them in the right lane for many kilometers so the don't "miss" their U turn. Dumb and IGNORANT  to say the least. They have no empathy or skill. Is it any confusion why Thailand has an abhorrent number of road deaths/accidents? 

The guy moved, he was slow in doing so but he moved, PLUS, the ambulance could have undertaken him, there's no story here, move along.

Not the best example of cars not giving way. I am sure the ambulance drivers have a few of these moments daily. The speed of the ambulance was hardly impeded and only for about twenty seconds.

I am not excusing the behavior, but I have seen much graver examples than this and I know this is a common and very serious problem.

The victim (rest in peace) actually died before the ambulance got there it is unlikely that the 20 seconds of going 100 kph instead of 120 kph made the difference. 

Some first aid training might have made a world of difference however.

I would give a driver that didn't pull over... 20 yrs. to life. 

   In this case it might be an exaggeration to say the death of the deceased was caused by the delay caused to the ambulance...a hugh amount.of time was not lost.

The Ambo driver could have overtaken the ute several times. What if the ute driver was on an emergency phone call?

After watching this video I think, IMHO, that this ambulance driver was simply wanting some "press" of his own.

1 hour ago, simoh1490 said:

The guy moved, he was slow in doing so but he moved, PLUS, the ambulance could have undertaken him, there's no story here, move along.

Can't move along, someone is blocking me

 

But you are partially right. I do not agree with the "could have undertaken him" part as there was traffic on the left lane regularly which would make it dangerous to speed up there. But the delay must have been limited to maybe 10 seconds in total due to the loss of speed, and I doubt this is the single reason why the person died.

 

Did the ambulance seriously arrive 10 seconds late to save his life? Of course not, it just a better headline to sell newspapers and trick people into commenting. This month all "ambulance delay" stories will be on the front page, just as last month all the "tour bus crashes" were on the front page. These things happen every single day in Thailand, but it is being pushed by the media now because it gets attention (resulting in clicks/sales).

Left hand / inside lane was well and tuely clear. Not saying the pickup shouldn't have moved to the left but I can't see why the ambo didn't.

While laws are not enforced, nothing will change. 

There seems to be a dramatic increase in road checkpoints, but will someone (anyone?) in charge use some commonsense and direct these useless morons to stop moving road violations.

The video should have shown the number plate of ute so (inept) RTP could investigate and fine Baboon for hindering ambulance

Clearly, the video shows the driver is in violation of not getting over for the ambulance.  The driver should be imprisoned, fined heavily, and receive a life ban from driving.  Video all of what happens to the driver through the legal process, then use the video to create a campaign to show what will happen to ALL drivers that do not obey laws when it comes to emergency vehicles.  I bet you will get more cooperation with giving right-of-way to emergency vehicles after the government shows the video on TV and Social media.  It will be a slow process to educate the public but it will be better than talking about it and doing nothing.

9 hours ago, KiwiKiwi said:

 

Thailand is a developing country. The culture Thais immerse themselves in from birth is toxic in so many ways, OK for the stone age or the Serengetti perhaps but not OK at all for the 21st Century on the fringes of the civilised world.

 

Whilst it is understandable, interfering in their lives by trying to apply developed-world cultures to them is a recipe for disappointment and it'll confuse the living Bejasus out of them anyway. Personally I think the approach of naturalists when studying animals in the wild is the right one for developing peoples as well - don't interfere, even to save a life that the natural course of events has decided should end.

 

I know it's painful, disappointing and unnecessary, but in my opinion, to allow their culture to adapt to modern living or die out - either way, under their own steam - is probably the only realistic approach to take. Thais do not want our advice or the benefit of our experience, they only want our money and I for one have decided they've had more than their share of that so they'll have to look elsewhere.

 

Thrive or die out, it's their decision, I'm happy to let them make it, to remain a detached onlooker and to learn, even in my dotage, from watching the behaviour of a nation in the middle stages of euthanasing itself. Might be wrong but I don't think there is anything we can do to help them and I stopped trying more or less as soon as I came to that conclusion. Allow them to work through the natural consequences of being a failing society, they'll work it out. Or not.

 

Sorry not to be more positive but I have learned the hard way to watch stupidity and the consequences of stupidity with alacrity. At least that way I can avoid doing some of the truly bizarre things they do.

 

What a load of self-righteous bs

A skilled ambulance driver could have overtaken the pickup without problem on a road that wide. And a skilled rescuer might still have used CPR to resuscitate the patient. Perils of living upcountry in Thailand


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8 minutes ago, PremiumLane said:

What a load of self-righteous bs

If you don't understand something, try not to show your limitations by commenting in this way.

 

Please feel free not to read any of my posts, that way you won't be so outraged.

Don't need to waste the taxpayers' money on useless campaigns because nobody in this country bothers!!!

11 hours ago, Thongkorn said:

Thais will. Never learn. Thailand is Lawless. Until Thai people obey Thai law  nothing will change.

Also if the so called medics where probly trained  they could have resusitated the person with just better training.Nobody needs to die from drowning if caught quickly enough.

You need to read the story again, The ambulance was bringing the para medics to the victim, not transporting the victim.

 

Edit: Sorry @ratcatcher, notice you read the same as me..................

Edited April 26, 20188 yr by chrisinth

Ambulances need shot guns to make the way on pickups. Even other day i witnessed the same inside Bangkok. 

After annoyed cries from Ambulance, pickup just giving a way enough for ambulance to pass while keeping the butt part of  the back is still crossing the lines.

Many drivers did pull over to let the emergency vehicle to safely pass.

 

So good on them.

 

Also is the increase in the frequency of these incidents valid or is it an increase in reports of this?

 

 

25 minutes ago, Dibbler said:

A skilled ambulance driver could have overtaken the pickup without problem on a road that wide. And a skilled rescuer might still have used CPR to resuscitate the patient. Perils of living upcountry in Thailand


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Depending on the speed the driver was travelling and the reasons he gave for not under-passing (slow moving traffic on the inner lane and restricted visibility, I think he made the right call. The last thing you would need in a situation like that would be for the ambulance to crash into a mechanical buffalo killing civilians and the 5 people onboard the ambulance.

 

As for administering CPR, again read the OP again. The ambulance was on the way to the victim and not transporting him/her at the time.

 

All that said, I really hope this time they make an example of the pickup driver. Far too many incidences like this coming to the media at this time.

Firstly the law does not protect the ambulance drivers in the breaking of laws to get to casualties or hospitals quickly, secondly there is no training of the ambulance drivers in fast driving techniques, as there is no national ambulance service, they are just private hospital drivers.

 

Thirdly, no public driver training or attitude to help others, no enforcement of any laws to deal with their obstruction.

 

The end, unless social media has an effect.