Thai doctor and family die in Canadian car crash

[webfact]

Thai doctor and family die in Canadian car crash

 

 

A Thai doctor and her family were killed in a car accident during a trip to British Columbia's Central Interior region in Canada last week.
 

CTV Vancouver News reported that a passenger car carrying the family of three, including a minor, collided with a semi-trailer truck at the intersection of Highway 97 and Highway 99, north of Cache Creek, shortly after 11am on Thursday.

 

The semi travelling south on 97 collided with a northbound car as it turned left from that highway onto Highway 99. All three occupants in the car were killed.

 

The cause of the collision is unclear.

 

The passengers in the car were Dr Natthapa Sawangsri, an instructor of Ramathibodi Hospital’s paramedic programme, her husband and their three-year-old son.

 

The Facebook page of the hospital's Emergency Rescue Service has issued its condolences on behalf of doctors, students and staff of the “RamaMedic” family.

 

“Dr Aom has been important strength behind the programme that was introduced three years ago. Everybody could feel her dedication and her love for the students and the work,” the condolence message said.

 

The students promised to study hard to become good paramedics.

 

Nattahpa’s relatives are in the process of contacting authorities in Canada about retrieving the family’s bodies.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30348724

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-06-27

[VocalNeal]

Been past there many times its a big wide junction. https://goo.gl/maps/XModjNRXtjv

 

Quote

Ashcroft RCMP are at the scene of accident in which three people are confirmed dead.

Const. Mike Halskov said on Thursday, June 21, at approximately 11:05 a.m., police received a report of a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Highway 97 and Highway 99 north of Cache Creek.

“Multiple emergency services attended the scene and found that a commercial vehicle traveling south on Highway 97 collided with a passenger car traveling north on Highway 97, turning left (west) onto Highway 99,” said Halskov. “All three occupants in the passenger car were killed as a result of the collision.”

The area around the intersection will remain closed for an undetermined period of time as Central Interior Traffic Services, the Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service (ICARS) and the BC Coroners Service investigate the collision.

https://www.castanet.net/news/BC/229474/Three-killed-in-crash

[pegman]

Tough to understand why their car crossed in front of the truck. This google map street view pic clearly shows the truck had the right of way. Unless some sort of orientation problem with driving on right side. This is their car view turning left.

[Expatthailover]

36 minutes ago, pegman said:

Tough to understand why their car crossed in front of the truck. This google map street view pic clearly shows the truck had the right of way. Unless some sort of orientation problem with driving on right side. This is their car view turning left.

Very very tragic. Obviously a very talented and respected THAI lady. Wonderful to see you are not implying in any way  that the accident was other than an accident and not bringing into question the deceased driver was from thailand a place where many love to have a go at driving standards.

[canuckamuck]

Rest in peace and I agree it is sad. But a Thai driver turning into traffic without looking... where have I seen that before?

[pegman]

55 minutes ago, Expatthailover said:

Very very tragic. Obviously a very talented and respected THAI lady. Wonderful to see you are not implying in any way  that the accident was other than an accident and not bringing into question the deceased driver was from thailand a place where many love to have a go at driving standards.

Well it may be counter intuitive but I prefer driving in Thailand to Canada. Once I got an understanding of their informal rules of the road it's been smooth sailing. 

[flyingtlger]

What a tragedy....RIP!

[inThailand]

Was he driving on his Thai drivers license? 

[toolpush]

1 hour ago, inThailand said:

Was he driving on his Thai drivers license? 

Why do you ask?  A Thai license is acceptable for driving in British Columbia because it is bilingual. Thai/English. I am a Canadian citizen but non-resident of Canada and I use my Thai license while driving in Canada. In Alberta, I could potentially use it for up to a year before being required to acquire an Alberta Drivers license. You can confirm this from the RCMP website.

[wanderluster]

in B.C. it looks like it is 6 months on a thai liscence.

https://www.welcomebc.ca/Start-Your-Life-in-B-C/Daily-Life/Driving-in-B-C

[tifino]

 

there's also the factor of the steering wheel being on the wrong side

and she was so distracted by the confusion of washer/wiping happening, instead of flashing/blinking?

 

 

 

 

[mikebike]

3 hours ago, pegman said:

Well it may be counter intuitive but I prefer driving in Thailand to Canada. Once I got an understanding of their informal rules of the road it's been smooth sailing. 

Totally agree pegman.

[cardinalblue]

So did she turn left right in front of an oncoming vehicle? It sure looks like a judgment in error then. Don't know if driving habits came into play especially how much driving on the right side vs left side played into it. Also the understanding of right-of-way rules  or compliance with are not the same in Canada vs Thailand? 

[KiChakayan]

3 hours ago, pegman said:

Well it may be counter intuitive but I prefer driving in Thailand to Canada. Once I got an understanding of their informal rules of the road it's been smooth sailing. 

Rule cannot be informal...

[oldlakey]

4 hours ago, Expatthailover said:

Very very tragic. Obviously a very talented and respected THAI lady. Wonderful to see you are not implying in any way  that the accident was other than an accident and not bringing into question the deceased driver was from thailand a place where many love to have a go at driving standards.

Could just be one of those unexplained coincidences

[oldlakey]

3 hours ago, pegman said:

Well it may be counter intuitive but I prefer driving in Thailand to Canada. Once I got an understanding of their informal rules of the road it's been smooth sailing. 

Well at least you have not joined the 25,000 + crew yet then good luck

[oldlakey]

13 minutes ago, KiChakayan said:

Rule cannot be informal...

What he means is everybody for themselves

[oldrunner]

So sad. Important to acclimate oneself to local conditions. Maybe the driver had driven in Canada before and it was a matter of "an accident".

[cardinalblue]

driving habits should replace rules....yes, there is no such thing as "informal rules"

[BEngBKK]

Sometimes life is just not fair...


It can happen to everybody..

[Briggsy]

2 hours ago, KiChakayan said:

Rule cannot be informal...

You old farang, you. ?

[smileydude]

When traveling in foreign lands on vacation we often are distracted by the GPS and switching from right to left side driving can be quite disorientating in itself.

 

I have always considered driving in a foreign country to be a high risk activity due to my unfamiliarity with the roads, the driving behavior of the locals and being heavily reliant on GPS so much as to follow its instructions unerringly only for it to direct me into a one way street or turn into a road that does not exist.  The best I can do is be super alert and hope my vacation ends without incident.

 

Its very tragic and sad as they were all just starting a family with a young child only for their lives to be cut short when they were supposed to be happily enjoying a vacation together.

 

 

RIP

 

 

[seajae]

unfortunately people that drive in Thailand are well aware of the way many thais ignore road rules and drive/ride to suit themselves. Trying to drive the same way in a western country will not work, unfortunately this may be a result of that fact, its a sad loss but it looks like it was very preventable

[Deez]

9 hours ago, Expatthailover said:

thailand a place where many love to have a go at driving standards.

With good reason

[thaiguzzi]

1 hour ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

 

 

No.

 

This is a country where my own wife doesn't believe me that cars in Canada yield to pedestrians. 

 

The post stands. If you think my post is being inconsiderate it's only because I see maniacs on the road here every single day. Why should I think any different? 

 

 

How do you know the 3 accident victims were "maniacs"?

Are you assuming, generalizing or what?

That every Thai person who gets behind the wheel has the potential to be a "killer"?

[pegman]

7 hours ago, toolpush said:

Why do you ask?  A Thai license is acceptable for driving in British Columbia because it is bilingual. Thai/English. I am a Canadian citizen but non-resident of Canada and I use my Thai license while driving in Canada. In Alberta, I could potentially use it for up to a year before being required to acquire an Alberta Drivers license. You can confirm this from the RCMP website.

Never knew this, thanks.

[Ulic]

My guess is they looked for clearance in the wrong direction pulling into the lane they would use in Thailand.

Unfortunately, there was a tractor-trailer directly in their path. Just a case of being used to driving in the

opposite lane and not stopping at intersections. RIP.  

[Scott]

An insensitive post and replies removed.  

 

[inThailand]

15 hours ago, toolpush said:

Why do you ask?  A Thai license is acceptable for driving in British Columbia because it is bilingual. Thai/English. I am a Canadian citizen but non-resident of Canada and I use my Thai license while driving in Canada. In Alberta, I could potentially use it for up to a year before being required to acquire an Alberta Drivers license. You can confirm this from the RCMP website.

You missed the point. Having a monkey license doesn't mean you know how to drive. 

[richard_smith237]

39 minutes ago, inThailand said:

You missed the point. Having a monkey license doesn't mean you know how to drive. 

While car accidents are sadly not uncommon in any country, suggesting the deceased had a ‘monkey’ licence implies your opinion of Thai’s is awful. 

 

Thankfully, voicing this opinion also affords us [thaivisa members] insight of your despicable character such that any point you wish to make may automatically be assumed to be bias, ultimately unworthy and quite frankly stupid. 

 

Thus, the only point you have successfully made is that of your questionable nature.