Video: Pick-up driver blocks ambulance - inside was injured foreigner after motorcycle smash

[webfact]

Video: Pick-up driver blocks ambulance - inside was injured foreigner after motorcycle smash

 

Thai caption: Blocking an emergency vehicle

Picture: 77kaoded

 

A rescue foundation worker had some choice words for a pick-up driver who was caught on video refusing to get out of the way of his ambulance. 

 

He had his siren going and was flashing his lights but the oblivious driver was staying in the right lane. 

 

The poster said that he tried and failed to undertake and asked why he did not move over. 

 

Later Thanaphon, 35, said he was on his way to Bangkok Pattaya hospital. 

 

He had with him a foreigner who had suffered a serious forehead injury after coming off his motorcycle after a collision with a dog. 

 

Thanaphon implored the public to get out of the way of emergency vehicles. 

 

The post asked the public to share the story - the pick-up involved was a Nissan with the plate 7727. 

 

Source: 77kaoded

 

 

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[johng]

4 minutes ago, webfact said:

but the oblivious driver was staying in the right lane.

The idiot probably thought they where going fast enough already ?

 

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

serious forehead injury after coming off his motorcycle after a collision with a dog. 

Lots of dog stories lately...when are these menaces going to be rounded up and removed ?

[RotBenz8888]

8 minutes ago, webfact said:

refusing to get out of the way of his ambulance. 

Me, myself and I.

[thaibeachlovers]

Sorry, but I don't understand why that was such a big deal. The ambulance was always going to get blocked in at every intersection, regardless of how fast they got from one to another. There is just too much traffic on the roads for cars to get out of the way.

Yes, the pickup driver was an ignorant idiot, but I doubt he delayed getting to the hospital by much.

What chance an ambulance speeding in rush hour traffic in any Thai city?

[trainman34014]

And the Local Plod will do what ?    Answers on a Postage Stamp please !

[sammieuk1]

Probably looking for a safe place to pull over then thought how ridiculous am I I'm ok ????

[z42]

3 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

And the Local Plod will do what ?    Answers on a Postage Stamp please !

Maybe get a computer crimes charge filed against them

[Just1Voice]

Some years back, in Indiana, someone died in an ambulance because a driver in a BMW refused to yield.  Within 30 days a new law was unanimously by the Indiana lawmakers. 

 

ALL emergency vehicles to be equipped dash cams. 

Failure to yield would have cops at your door within 24 hours. 

AUTOMATIC arrest. NO bail option. 

Car impounded for 30 days. 

AUTOMATIC 30 day jail sentence. 

ONE YEAR loss of license 

$5,000 fine. 

If the person in the emergency vehicle died due to your actions:

PERMANENT loss of license.

$10,000 fine

Face charge of "Manslaughter", with up to 5 years in prison. 

 

They ran this on the news every day for a week. 

 

Now, when people hear a siren, they get the hell out of the way!

[4MyEgo]

34 minutes ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Me, myself and I.

and my "black" car/4 wheel drive/ute, black being a symbol of power/status in the eyes of Thai's, as for mine, well, a heat trap, white deflects, blacks draws in the heat.

 

Cops should fine him heavily and make it public, over and over and over again, until the public get the message, but don't hold your breathe, we are after all, in Thailand and it's Thai time.

Edited January 8, 2020 by 4MyEgo

[CGW]

38 minutes ago, johng said:

Lots of dog stories lately...when are these menaces going to be rounded up and removed ?

I can answer that question - Never!

[riclag]

It sickens me to see this happen! That PU driver should of pulled over to the left side immediately ,the ambulance  was behind him for well over 30 seconds. The ambulance service needs to initiate complaints by taking down the license numbers, report them to  transportation instead of the police, to take action!

The authorities have used deterrents such as driving while intoxicated,with stiff penalties! This should be the same. 

[CGW]

I have been driving here for a long time, in years gone by there were the sum total of Zero "ambulances" on the road, there were always "body snatchers" rushing to the scene of an accident though!

Now there are a lot of private "ambulances" on the road, are they rushing people to the hospital or are they on a "body snatching" run?

Are we also supposed to give way to the pick up body snatcher "ambulances"?

"Government" needs to clarify  ????

[colinneil]

Study the video, you will see that when the ambulance goes inside to pass the pickup actually speeds up.

Bloody arogant piece of s++t.

[FritsSikkink]

Put the idiot in jail.

[CharlieH]

I am not excusing the actions of the pick-up driver, but the whole system is floored.

 

There is no "universal" marking or signage or siren etc for ambulance vehicles. There are so many types from van to pick-up, to pick-up with cover over and so on. They allow any type of vehicle to put pretty lights and have a siren and stickers they can afford.

They allow people to dress in dirty cover-alls with sewn on patches to "body snatch" and in some cities they have pristine well marked vans and well presented vehicles and staff.(private hospitals usually)

Typical Thailand where there is NO consistency and the law enforcement is too weak. If you have one of these behind you there is no real way to know if someone is rushing for the toilet or actually an ambulance in an emergency, based on what I have seen.

Personally I get out of the way from habit and years of UK driving, but here, it could be anything with flashing lights and a siren.

 

[metisdead]

A post using vulgar language has been removed:

 

8.) You will not post disruptive or inflammatory messages, vulgarities, obscenities or profanities.

[Traubert]

52 minutes ago, Just1Voice said:

Some years back, in Indiana, someone died in an ambulance because a driver in a BMW refused to yield.  Within 30 days a new law was unanimously by the Indiana lawmakers. 

 

ALL emergency vehicles to be equipped dash cams. 

Failure to yield would have cops at your door within 24 hours. 

AUTOMATIC arrest. NO bail option. 

Car impounded for 30 days. 

AUTOMATIC 30 day jail sentence. 

ONE YEAR loss of license 

$5,000 fine. 

If the person in the emergency vehicle died due to your actions:

PERMANENT loss of license.

$10,000 fine

Face charge of "Manslaughter", with up to 5 years in prison. 

 

They ran this on the news every day for a week. 

 

Now, when people hear a siren, they get the hell out of the way!

Oh right, well drag him out of hospital, fly him to Indiana, throw him off another motorbike and he'll be OK then.

[legend49]

1 hour ago, Just1Voice said:

Some years back, in Indiana, someone died in an ambulance because a driver in a BMW refused to yield.  Within 30 days a new law was unanimously by the Indiana lawmakers. 

 

ALL emergency vehicles to be equipped dash cams. 

Failure to yield would have cops at your door within 24 hours. 

AUTOMATIC arrest. NO bail option. 

Car impounded for 30 days. 

AUTOMATIC 30 day jail sentence. 

ONE YEAR loss of license 

$5,000 fine. 

If the person in the emergency vehicle died due to your actions:

PERMANENT loss of license.

$10,000 fine

Face charge of "Manslaughter", with up to 5 years in prison. 

 

They ran this on the news every day for a week. 

 

Now, when people hear a siren, they get the hell out of the way!

Plus a speaker PA like the police vehicles have when escorting VIPs telling you to get out of the way. Finally a massive heavy duty bull bar to push the idiots out of the way.

[TooBigToFit]

The Thai roads seem worse than ever with selfish drivers and especially slow drivers who are on their mobiles or just in their own world. I doubt any Thai really knows the laws. It's a free for all every day with more and more cars.

 

Bangkok has always had a reputation for traffic jams but it hasn't always had lots of cars. Thailand's traffic jams are from rampant idiocy, not quantity of cars. That's a fact!

[natway09]

He had 4 or 5 opportunities to pull over to the left but did not.

Transport Dept should watch the video & cancel his licence for 10 years.

As for the poster who says it's OK, going fast enough already. time to back home

[petedk]

1 hour ago, CharlieH said:

I am not excusing the actions of the pick-up driver, but the whole system is floored.

 

There is no "universal" marking or signage or siren etc for ambulance vehicles. There are so many types from van to pick-up, to pick-up with cover over and so on. They allow any type of vehicle to put pretty lights and have a siren and stickers they can afford.

They allow people to dress in dirty cover-alls with sewn on patches to "body snatch" and in some cities they have pristine well marked vans and well presented vehicles and staff.(private hospitals usually)

Typical Thailand where there is NO consistency and the law enforcement is too weak. If you have one of these behind you there is no real way to know if someone is rushing for the toilet or actually an ambulance in an emergency, based on what I have seen.

Personally I get out of the way from habit and years of UK driving, but here, it could be anything with flashing lights and a siren.

 

I agree entirely with your posting.

 

I once took a minivan from Pattaya to Bangkok and he drove like crazy. Every time he came up behind a car he flicked a switch and a red and blue light carefully placed on his dashboard with start flashing. The cars then moved out of his way.

 

I have also noticed several motor cycles using flashing red and blue lights. Someone told me that were guys from the insurance company trying to get to an accident.

 

I was also going to introduce a new topic about cars with red headlights (yes, I have seen that), but I'll save that for another day.

[Tropposurfer]

same disgusting stuff happens in australia every day. huge fines are need laid down in my home country from camera evidence in ambulances ... here God knows what will shift this sort of attitude, maybe a 10 - 20K fine also imposed from the camera evidence. Public campaign to announce it too! Then there's the issues of actually collecting isn't there if such legislative measures were enacted into law. 

[Don Mega]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Sorry, but I don't understand why that was such a big deal. The ambulance was always going to get blocked in at every intersection, regardless of how fast they got from one to another. There is just too much traffic on the roads for cars to get out of the way.

Yes, the pickup driver was an ignorant idiot, but I doubt he delayed getting to the hospital by much.

What chance an ambulance speeding in rush hour traffic in any Thai city?

You forgot to mention if the foreigner was not here there would be no hurry.

[VocalNeal]

2 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

Some years back, in Indiana, someone died in an ambulance because a driver in a BMW refused to yield.  Within 30 days a new law was unanimously by the Indiana lawmakers. 

 

ALL emergency vehicles to be equipped dash cams. 

Failure to yield would have cops at your door within 24 hours. 

AUTOMATIC arrest. NO bail option. 

Car impounded for 30 days. 

AUTOMATIC 30 day jail sentence. 

ONE YEAR loss of license 

$5,000 fine. 

If the person in the emergency vehicle died due to your actions:

PERMANENT loss of license.

$10,000 fine

Face charge of "Manslaughter", with up to 5 years in prison. 

 

They ran this on the news every day for a week. 

 

Now, when people hear a siren, they get the hell out of the way!

Assuming that the emergency vehicle is actually going to or coming from an emergency. 

The saying crying wolf comes to mind. 

They have the lights and sirens so they switch them on regardless. 

When was the last time anyone saw an ambulance simply driving along going to lunch or between hospitals or...

[HHTel]

Whilst I agree that you should always give way to emergency vehicles, drivers of emergency vehicles should be taken to task when using their sirens/lights for their own benefit. i.e. just to get through heavy traffic on the way home!

The other dangerous and life threatening habit of Thai drivers is using the 'hard shoulder' on highways which prevents emergency vehicles from getting to an incident.  That is the whole point of a 'hard shoulder'.

Even with huge 'No Entry' signs painted on the 'hard shoulder' along with diagonal hash lines, drivers will still ignore them.

[mrfill]

4 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

And the Local Plod will do what ?    Answers on a Postage Stamp please !

A small pin head will suffice...

[JAG]

5 hours ago, CGW said:

I have been driving here for a long time, in years gone by there were the sum total of Zero "ambulances" on the road, there were always "body snatchers" rushing to the scene of an accident though!

Now there are a lot of private "ambulances" on the road, are they rushing people to the hospital or are they on a "body snatching" run?

Are we also supposed to give way to the pick up body snatcher "ambulances"?

"Government" needs to clarify  ????

In large areas of Thailand the Rescue Foundation" ambulances ("body snatchers" if you must) are the only ambulance provision. My local rural hospital has a couple of ambulances, but they seem to be fully committed to transferring patients to and from the main hospital in Chiang Rai. If you have an accident or are injured/taken ill outside town then it will be a Rescue Foundation vehicle that comes for you. Depending on the funds available in the local area, it may be a converted pickup, or more often nowadays a rather basic "van ambulance". 

 

I have needed an ambulance twice this last year - it was a bad year - once when I came off my motorbike when some pillock threw a bucket of water in my face during Sonkran (battered and bruised) and once when I fell off the roof (stupid yes) and knocked myself out! Both times they were professional and effective, able to use body board, collars and splints to immobilize me before putting me in the vehicle. 

 

Some time ago I spent a dozen evenings teaching the volunteers in Chiang Rai some basic English phrases. They studied hard. I believe that they are partly funded by charging insurance companies for their services. Certainly when I had my motorcycle accident they (with the assistance of plod) managed to charge the clown who threw the water!

 

My point is that, certainly their equipment and training is variable, but in many areas they are all there is, and rural Thailand would be much worse off without them! So perhaps when you see them with flashing lights and sirens get out of the way? If they are on their way to a patient or hospital it is the right thing to do, if not and you won't know will you - well it doesn't really matter!

 

They are certainly of much greater use to their communities than for example the various uniformed knackers that hang around in tents at the side of the road at New Year and other "dangerous times"!

Edited January 8, 2020 by JAG

[metisdead]

Some posts advocating illegal activities have been removed. 

[Happy Grumpy]

That's absolutely shocking.

 

The pick up driver should be caught.

 

So he can then file defamation and computer crime charges against the driver of the ambulance. 

[CGW]

1 hour ago, JAG said:

My point is that, certainly their equipment and training is variable, but in many areas they are all there is, and rural Thailand would be much worse off without them! So perhaps when you see them with flashing lights and sirens get out of the way? If they are on their way to a patient or hospital it is the right thing to do, if not and you won't know will you - well it doesn't really matter!

All good points, I will reassess my opinion of them ????