Italian couple crushed to death by oil tanker in southern Thailand

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

An Italian couple were killed after an oil tanker overturned at a junction in Chumphon on Thursday.

 

The couple named as Giuliano De Santis, 42, and Ilaria Rizzo, 37, were travelling by motorcycle along the Pak Nam Road in Pak Nam Subdistrict when an oil tanker lost control and overturned crushing the couple.

 

Police and rescue workers were called to the scene of the accident at 4.30pm on Thursday where they found the 10 wheel Isuzu had overturned, spilling thousands of litres of fuel over the road.

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

The 64 year old driver of the tanker, who was unhurt, said he had been hired to deliver fuel to gas stations in Chumphon province.

 

He said he had more than ten years experience driving trucks and had never had an accident before.

 

The driver said as he approached the junction the brakes didn’t work properly causing him to lose control of the tanker, which resulted in it overturning and landing on top of the couple.

 

However, a witness told police that he saw the tanker approach the junction at speed and attempt to make a left turn, which is when the vehicle overturned.

 

The witness said initially he wasn’t aware that anyone else was involved in the accident as he quickly took his grandchildren away from the scene as he could see large amounts of fuel spilling out onto the road.

 

Police said the Italian couple had arrived in Thailand on 21 February and were here on holiday. Manager reported that another foreign couple, believed to friends of the deceased, were travelling behind the couple when the accident occured.

 

Police added that it took nearly two hours to clean the road of the fuel and recover the overturned vehicle.

 

The driver has been held pending further investigations.

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-03-01

 

Jeez, RIP.  Your life can be snuffed out in an instant through no fault of your own....

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

The driver has been held pending further investigations.

From a report in another source and a cop talking on video it sounds like the truck driver was intoxicated.

Wow, that video was hard to watch. The scooter just riding along within the road rules and absolutely flattened by someone who clearly shouldn't have been driving. 

 

What a waste of life. 

The driver said as he approached the junction the brakes didn’t work properly causing him to lose control

 

????

The world's most dangerous roads.  If they put a stupidometer on many Thai vehicles they would bury the needle.  RIP to the Italians. 

19 minutes ago, webfact said:

He said he had more than ten years experience driving trucks and had never had an accident before.

Every driver here is a widow maker with a backup brake fail story for their reckless speed ????RIP

One more Thai Driver/ Rider, blaming something else for his behaviour on the roads.

To fast,  To Dangerous ,  To stupid,

R.i.P, to he couple, and condolences to the family and friends.

Man, riding/driving on the roads here you have to be on the ball and focussed 110% and literally be prepared for anything. Such a tragic accident. RIP

 

38 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

The video is just too short/limited view (also not in real time) to say whether >I< would have anticipated what might happen.

 

It was a real time video of CCTV footage.  It is likely coming out from the the PT refinery off one of the side roads.  Not too far from the right turn to go to the lookout point.

 

I think the Italians may have seen them but were thinking (like many tourists) that the rules back in their home country would apply.   In other words, the motorbike driver likely didn't anticipate the tanker would actually take the corner the way he did.

 

everybody within 50 meters of that truck dodged a bullet when it did not explode.

 

RIP tourists. 

51 minutes ago, webfact said:

Manager reported that another foreign couple, believed to friends of the deceased, were travelling behind the couple when the accident occured.

what a horrible thing to witness. and maybe have to call their friend's family with the terrible news. 

 

 

40 minutes ago, webfact said:

The driver said as he approached the junction the brakes didn’t work properly causing him to lose control

He could have said that the earth is flat, and apart from his parents everyone would call it BS/save face/blame someone/something. Just tell the truth for once, please.

RIP Italian couple -they deserve too after an accident like that!

Two hours to clean up the fuel - hard to believe, you would want to be careful on that stretch of road for a while!

Probably a 5,000 Bhat fine and told not to do it again.  Pathetic. 

Maybe it really was brake failure, although I doubt it.

I think the maintainable schedule on hazardous chemical vehicles is much stricter. 

they should throw the book at that driver vermin...

 

if the brakes were malfunctioning, he should have blown the horn to warn traffic. but I'd bet it was a lie.

Taxi driver returning cash coming soon

Those breaks did not fail; he was going too fast. RIP

4 minutes ago, Nsp64 said:

Maybe it really was brake failure, although I doubt it.

I think the maintainable schedule on hazardous chemical vehicles is much stricter. 

schedule what schedule...

2 minutes ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

500thb and a wai.

 

Next case. 

Nah

Two people, It's a double Wai.

Terrible for the family in Italy to see this video clip. Driver driving too fast and not paying due care and attention. 

 

I drive very carefully nowadays but nothing protects you from people like this.

 

30 minutes ago, tlandtday said:

schedule what schedule...

Actually, yeah.

There I go with my responsible thinking again.

Silly me

I don't see his brakelights or indicators....

 

RIP dear tourists.....

27 minutes ago, CGW said:

RIP Italian couple -they deserve too after an accident like that!

Two hours to clean up the fuel - hard to believe, you would want to be careful on that stretch of road for a while!

Somchai:  "While waiting I might as well spark up a ciga... "

 

FffffOOOOOOOOOOM!

maybe it was carelessness, hard to tell with that video, but it could happen to anyone.. trucks and buses overturn all the time, it's called a traffic accident.. just this time a motorbike was in the wrong place at the wrong time.. 

Just now, pkspeaker said:

maybe it was carelessness, hard to tell with that video, but it could happen to anyone.. trucks and buses overturn all the time, it's called a traffic accident.. just this time a motorbike was in the wrong place at the wrong time.. 

Really you didn't happen to notice any excessive speeding on behalf of the truck driver.  Too bad we didn't have audio because if brakes failed I would think it natural for a driver to hit the horn.

hard to tell, accidents happen , for the police to investigate

1 hour ago, SammyT said:

Wow, that video was hard to watch. The scooter just riding along within the road rules and absolutely flattened by someone who clearly shouldn't have been driving. 

 

What a waste of life. 

I think the motorbike should have slowed down and not carry on towards the tanker.