Elderly Benz driver charged for fatal expressway wreck

[hobz]

Looks like she was using her phone or something

[wgdanson]

1 hour ago, MaxYakov said:

I'm sure the truck carried flares or safety warning triangles and they had been deployed to help prevent this.

I'm sure yellow, hi-vis vests are required to be carried for the drivers of motor vehicles in Thailand. /sarc

Or if you do not have a warning triangle, a bit of tree branch is acceptable.

[wgdanson]

51 minutes ago, hobz said:

Looks like she was using her phone or something

Check her phone log. Sorted.

[Ulic]

Must have extremely poor eyesight. Looks like she confused the broken down truck as a moving vehicle and moved left to follow behind. Unfortunately, it was a parked disabled vehicle. There will be no justice here. If you can afford a Mercedes in Thailand you can afford to buy your way out of trouble.

[Bangkok Barry]

12 hours ago, observer90210 said:

Driving a Benz..probable Hi-So...connections...waï your way out, shell out some petty ca$h....case closed. Next.

It's funny how owning a Benz is a symbol of being hi-so in Thailand, while in some European countries they are nothing more than taxis. Imagine the loss of face if they stepped outside of their Thai bubble and discovered that.

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, Crossy said:

CCTV video here

 

 

Her dashcam here

 

https://www.thairath.co.th/content/1443560

 

Looking very closely at the footage just before the impact you can actually see the Mercedes going off the lane & over the white line.. was it deliberate or lack of attention... who knows?

[smileydude]

I see the words “Hi-so Mercedes driver, privileged treatment, respect for the elderly etc thrown around which is a lot of assumptions on how the outcome will be but few addressing the real problem. 

 

I think the main problem is not all of the above but the following:

 

1. Many highways in Thailand do not have proper “emergency lanes”.  The lane was so inadequate in width the delivery truck was overlapping the traffic lane line despite parked inches to the barrier.  What if it was an 18 wheeler?  Just an accident waiting to happen.

 

2. Lifetime driver’s licenses:  Though this option has been discontinued most people over 45 have them so there are absolutely no measures to check for the physical and mental capacity of drivers especially the elderly.

 

3. Using your cellphone while driving: We have laws forbidding it but the whole mentality is its ok until I kill someone.  Looking at the video the Mercedes was not centered in the lane but had been driving over the left solid marker for some time so either she was distracted or she had a physical condition such as cataracts that limited her vision.

 

We’ve seen tragic accidents like this happen over and over again.   My car broke down on a similar elevated tollway and the only thing I could do was turn on my flashing lights, and stay 50 meters in front and away from my car until help arrived.  NEVER STAY IN OR NEAR YOUR CAR.  I don’t recall this as one of the driver’s license test questions but they should definitely make it one.

[HAKAPALITA]

You just push the steering talk button thesedays, phones are handsfree unless yo drive a Shed. They Auto Conect for you.

[digger70]

No wonder he can't see anything,He's inside the cop shop with Sunglasses on . Don't you hate that . Same as on TV people on there with sunglasses on their noggin, what's the deal with that. do they think that they are better than us. I won't even talk with someone with sunglasses on for an conversation . If one can't/won't let one see ones eyes  they have something to hide and No respect for an other human being.

[nahkit]

14 hours ago, scorecard said:

I wonder if this is a case of, all the 'real' lanes have a lot of traffic so progress is a little slow, but wait the 'extra' lane on the left seems empty so let's just push the pedal down and race into that lane and it's all sweet, just go go go (and perhaps also keep talking on the phone because you have to talk to your friend, it would be rude to say 'sorry i'm driving').

 

And anticipation that there may be some blockage, some traffic further down the left lane is just not in the thinking, in other words anticipation is not part of the continuous analysis of what's happening, too serious, gives you a headache.

 

Further she (and most other local drivers) don't even know that the purpose of the additional / extra left lane, especially on overheard freeways, is for emergency access, after all it's normal for ambulances to wait for the expensive cars to proceed. You buy your license what else do you need to know. 

 

"Wonder" no more, the cctv and dashcam evidence make the first part of your post look pretty ridiculous. 

[owenm]

3 hours ago, Crossy said:

Video from CCTV and several dashcams (including hers) is now out there. Played numerous times on Ch3 news last night.

 

Although the older lady in the Merc was clearly in the wrong unfortunately causing 2 deaths, watching the CCTV several times noticed that the delivery truck that had broken down didn't have any hazard lights flashing.. An extremely dangerous situation in the making.. If you're going to breakdown on an expressway in the emergency lane without hazards on, you're asking for trouble..

[Just Weird]

15 hours ago, Henrik Andersen said:

RIP 

And to the driver I hope the 2 people's ghost hunting you forever 

Shame on you 

Why the attack?  She seems very remorseful for the accident that she accepts was her fault and is doing whatever she can to make things a little easier for the families.

[orchidfan]

Perfect visibility, light traffic, hiw could she NOT see the truck parked there? MUST have been totally distracted!

[Vacuum]

16 hours ago, scorecard said:

it would be rude to say 'sorry i'm driving'

I do it all the time when the wife is a passenger (use other wording though).

[Peterphuket]

Let me guess, she was playing with her iPhone?

[mok199]

After watching the new video of the collision it is clear the truck should not have been parked their ( It was straddling the lane of onciming traffic) had the 2 boys split up ,one repairs the truck the other stands behind it directing the oncoming traffic,the woman does what most of have done ,veered over, she didn't even have time to correct her wheel......sad so sad....Never turn your back on traffic in thailand

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, Just Weird said:

Why the attack?  She seems very remorseful for the accident that she accepts was her fault and is doing whatever she can to make things a little easier for the families.

Not aware of the last line of your post, can you please share some details on this. Thanks.

[MickeyR]

When you are a farang driving in Thailand its not only how good you drive. Its also how bad the driving is around you but you will never catch the stupid  Irresponsible drivers because the police don't come out of those little boxes on the junctions . More beat cops and motor police, bikes and cars 

[khunPer]

Looking at the dash cam video from the Mercedes, the car is drifting to the left and would probably have hit the crash barriers, had the delivery truck not been stuck in the shoulder-lane due to overheated engine.

[balo]

2 hours ago, Peterphuket said:

Let me guess, she was playing with her iPhone?

SHe is 72 years old , I doubt it.  She probably just dozed off, or could not see clearly. 

 

[chang1]

20 hours ago, HAKAPALITA said:

Negligence,hmm, was the mechanic anything to do with it being broken down there.?


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

And which mechanic would that be? The one who did the last service? The one who did the last full service? The one who replaced the last part not connected with the breakdown? The one in the factory that fitted the part that failed? The one that did the annual safety check? The one that does the weekly checks? Or anyone who has ever worked on the vehicle? Any mechanical or electrical system can fail at any time. What is the hard shoulder there for? Why would you try to move the blame from the old lady who clearly was at fault onto someone who does a job that can never be 100% reliable. You are obviously clueless when it comes to complex machinery.

[Burma Bill]

Wearing dark glasses whilst talking to the police Tuesday NIGHT! Was she wearing these at the time of the accident? Were they prescribed for sight disabilities? RIP the men.

[metisdead]

A troll post has been removed. 

[l4ml4m]

On 12/13/2018 at 8:06 AM, fruitman said:

The truck is also guilty for not using the hazardlights.

 

this is the only guilty that I can see in this case.

and why was it stopped there ?!

 

 

[l4ml4m]

23 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

It's funny how owning a Benz is a symbol of being hi-so in Thailand, while in some European countries they are nothing more than taxis. Imagine the loss of face if they stepped outside of their Thai bubble and discovered that.

 

Buy a $100000 to $200000 car and you will understand the feeling ????

 

 

 

[l4ml4m]

On 12/13/2018 at 8:13 AM, Crossy said:

Assuming of course, you could continue, we don't know at this point what went wrong with the truck. It does seem that the bonnet (hood) was open and the chaps were peering into the engine bay when the collision happened.

 

 

Even if the truck was stopped for a legit reason, how many times I have seen idiots stopping for such a stupid reason as pee or something similar. Even if truck driver was not wrong this time I am 100% sure that he has been wrong hundred times in his life, as most people who know nothing in this country.

 

 

 

 

 

[l4ml4m]

22 hours ago, digger70 said:

No wonder he can't see anything,He's inside the cop shop with Sunglasses on . Don't you hate that . Same as on TV people on there with sunglasses on their noggin, what's the deal with that. do they think that they are better than us. I won't even talk with someone with sunglasses on for an conversation . If one can't/won't let one see ones eyes  they have something to hide and No respect for an other human being.

 

Old people without glasses look so ugly, you would know this if you had any style.

 

 

[digger70]

2 hours ago, l4ml4m said:

 

Old people without glasses look so ugly, you would know this if you had any style.

 

 

I am not talking about Old people ,It's got nothing to do with style either. It's just plain rude 

[Galactus]

who ever gave or renew her driving license is more guilty than this old lady. 

[ratcatcher]

21 hours ago, scorecard said:

Not aware of the last line of your post, can you please share some details on this. Thanks.

Perhaps this is what you're looking for?

"Surang did not make any public comment after reporting to the Rattanathibet Police Station. She paid an undisclosed amount of monetary compensation to victims’ families.

“She seemed very sorry and said she would pay for everything, including the funeral and not abandon my family,” said Thida Suracha, Woothichai’s widow. “She understands that we lost our main breadwinner and said that she should help me find a job as well.”