British biker, 83, is killed in a horror crash in Thailand after car pulls out in front of him

[webfact]

Pictured: Mr McVeighty's upturned bike is seen on the motorway in Thailand after the crash

 

-- Keith William McVeighty, 83, was riding along the motorway in Chiang Mai

-- A silver car suddenly pulled out from a side road in front of the British ex-pat

-- CCTV footage showed he pulled his brakes but smashed into the back of the car

-- The motorbike lover was flung onto the roof of the vehicle and fell onto the road

-- A local police chief confirmed McVeighty's death, and said if the driver - believed to be a Chinese woman - was found to be at fault, she would be prosecuted

 

By CHRIS JEWERS FOR MAILONLINE and VIRAL PRESS

 

A British pensioner was killed on Sunday in a horrific motorbike crash in Thailand involving a car, according to reports.

 

Keith William McVeighty, 83, was riding along the motorway when the car suddenly pulled out from a side road in Chiang Mai on Sunday morning.

 

CCTV footage shows how the female driver accelerated across the road onto the outside lane straight into the path of McVeighty, originally from the Isle of Man.

 

The shocked rider pulled his brakes but was unable to avoid smashing into the back of the silver Mazda SUV.

 

The motorbike lover, an experienced rider who had previously competed in the Isle of Man's TT race, was flung onto the roof of the vehicle before falling onto the road.

 

Full story: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10910993/British-biker-83-killed-horror-crash-Thailand-car-pulls-him.html

 

-- © Copyright Mail Online 2022-06-14

 

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[RandiRona]

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

A silver car suddenly pulled out from a side road in front of the British ex-pat

I would argue that for a 83 year old everything is a sudden or surprising event. Car is your best friend on Thai roads.

[LivinLOS]

RIP Keith.. Nice guy with decades of ride experience.. 

Theres a certain level of basic road user ignorance that no amount of defensive driving can avoid. 

[worgeordie]

Survived  the Isle of Man's TT race, but taken out on

Thai roads, RIP Keith

regards worgeordie

[Henryford]

RIP Keith, he died doing what he loved. Weird how the bike finished up, with the centre stand up.

[MadMuhammad]

RIP Keith ???????? doing what you loved right till the end, mate. 
 

24 minutes ago, RandiRona said:

I would argue that for a 83 year old everything is a sudden or surprising event. Car is your best friend on Thai roads.

Going by his past achievements I would hope old mate Keith would not have been a mentally numb, decrepit, bar stool minder.
Either way some of the ridiculousness that happens on the roads here is beyond belief, even for those with the quickest of reflexes and years of experience 

[carvets]

I don't know for sure what the Thai law is for pulling out from a side street , but it was explained to me years ago that Thais believe if you are on the main road then it's your responsibility to avoid vehicles pulling out from side streets as you have a better view of what's happening . I don't know if this is true but it terrifies me to think it's possible . Very sad for the 83 yo involved . 

[ezzra]

As a long time rider, i can only say that motorcycle is a very good transport solution, that is, until you get into a crash be it your fault or not, seasoned rider or a beginner, if god loved you you'll get out of it lightly, otherwise...

[Gottfrid]

5 minutes ago, carvets said:

I don't know for sure what the Thai law is for pulling out from a side street , but it was explained to me years ago that Thais believe if you are on the main road then it's your responsibility to avoid vehicles pulling out from side streets as you have a better view of what's happening . I don't know if this is true but it terrifies me to think it's possible . Very sad for the 83 yo involved . 

No, it's not true! There are rules for how to deal with different situations. If you are on a main road, the drivers from the side roads have to stop and look. If you are on a crossing with roads considered same value, all have to stop, behind the line if existing, and look for free passage. If there is no line, then you have to make up one in your mind. After that you have traffic lights or a turn coming from the left hand side to watch out for.

However, RIP Keith! Nobody should need to go like that, doing what they love. Regarding 83 year old, and still driving a race bike with a race helmet, that is to me somewhat irresponsible to himself. At that age, you will no longer have the necessary reflexes, even if you think you have. We do not know who is at fault really, even if the news sounds like siding with the biker.

 

My believe, is also that the woman driving the car went out without looking. The problem, though, was the old bike racer speeding so that is the main reason for not have the possibility to react or brake in time? There is actually a clause in the driving law, that states you should use caution, which also means you should have time to give the people who happens to do wrong free passage if possible. That, is only possible if not speeding.

[jaiyenyen]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

CCTV footage shows how the female driver accelerated across the road onto the outside lane straight into the path of McVeighty,

So, it sounds like she didn't just turn into the main road and keep to the left hand lane. She went across all the lanes, into the path of Mr McVeighty.

And nowhere in the report does it say that he was speeding, so let's assume that he wasn't.

I didn't know Mr McVeighty, but I hope he rests in peace.

[FritsSikkink]

56 minutes ago, MadMuhammad said:

RIP Keith ???????? doing what you loved right till the end, mate. 
 

Going by his past achievements I would hope old mate Keith would not have been a mentally numb, decrepit, bar stool minder.
Either way some of the ridiculousness that happens on the roads here is beyond belief, even for those with the quickest of reflexes and years of experience 

An 83 year old doesn't have the quickest of reflexes no matter what you have done before when younger. So you need to adjust to the current reflexes.

[Seismic]

29 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

However, RIP Keith! Nobody should need to go like that, doing what they love. Regarding 83 year old, and still driving a race bike with a race helmet, that is to me somewhat irresponsible to himself. At that age, you will no longer have the necessary reflexes, even if you think you have. We do not know who is at fault really, even if the news sounds like siding with the biker.

 

Clearly you know very little about bikes. That is not a 'race' bike, but what we call an 'adventure' bike and they are not designed for speed. As we cannot see his helmet, I am also curious about your phrase 'Race Helmet' what exactly is a race helmet? and how does that affect the story, other than he was responsible enough to be actually wearing a helmet.

[JonnyF]

Very sad.

 

I saw the video and the car pulled out from the side street onto the main road and immediately moved into the overtaking lane, possibly to U turn further up the road, and the bike went up the back of it.

 

The rider didn't look to be speeding. It was a bit curious that whilst he clearly didn't have enough time to stop, he did appear to have enough time to move into a different lane to avoid the collision but he stayed on the same lane. It looked like he could have gone to the left or the right of the car to avoid it. Maybe he thought there was something coming from behind in those lanes? Or maybe he had target fixation.  

 

Anyway, the driver was at fault IMO. She could have pulled out and stayed in the left hand lane and it would have been fine. RIP Keith.

[smedly]

6 hours ago, RandiRona said:

I would argue that for a 83 year old everything is a sudden or surprising event. Car is your best friend on Thai roads.

at 83 I will wager he was 10x the rider you will ever be

 

RIP Keith

[CartagenaWarlock]

In the USA, if you read end a car you're always at fault even if the car put a sudden break in the middle of the road unless the front car has broken tail lights or the front driver driving drunk. 

[Dellboy218]

1 hour ago, Gottfrid said:

No, it's not true! There are rules for how to deal with different situations. If you are on a main road, the drivers from the side roads have to stop and look. If you are on a crossing with roads considered same value, all have to stop, behind the line if existing, and look for free passage. If there is no line, then you have to make up one in your mind. After that you have traffic lights or a turn coming from the left hand side to watch out for.

However, RIP Keith! Nobody should need to go like that, doing what they love. Regarding 83 year old, and still driving a race bike with a race helmet, that is to me somewhat irresponsible to himself. At that age, you will no longer have the necessary reflexes, even if you think you have. We do not know who is at fault really, even if the news sounds like siding with the biker.

 

My believe, is also that the woman driving the car went out without looking. The problem, though, was the old bike racer speeding so that is the main reason for not have the possibility to react or brake in time? There is actually a clause in the driving law, that states you should use caution, which also means you should have time to give the people who happens to do wrong free passage if possible. That, is only possible if not speeding.

Looks more like an Adventure style bike to me..  very few racing style bikes around these days.

[LomSak27]

Unfortunately that type of behavior is common on Thai roads. Usually it is the reverse scenario. The car is blasting along in the fast or overtaking (far right) lane and suddenly they have a impulse to exit. No impulse control here, they suddenly veer across two or three lanes to do it, traffic be damned. Fricking insane.  

And another rider is gone. RIP Sir.

[ChrisY1]

4 wheels, surrounded by metal, is my preferred transport mode.... everywhere!

[silverhawk_usa]

17 minutes ago, Dellboy218 said:

Looks more like an Adventure style bike to me..  very few racing style bikes around these days.

Keith's bike is a Honda 500X. Yes, it can be classified as an entry level 'adventure bike'.   The same as my Thai wife rides and in fact purchased at the same time as our good friend Keith.  Even at 83 Keith was an excellent rider.

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, Gottfrid said:

However, RIP Keith! Nobody should need to go like that, doing what they love. Regarding 83 year old, and still driving a race bike with a race helmet, that is to me somewhat irresponsible to himself. At that age, you will no longer have the necessary reflexes, even if you think you have. We do not know who is at fault really, even if the news sounds like siding with the biker.

Its not a ‘race bike’ looks more like a CB 500 or something similar, comfortable to get around. 

The age thing is something many of us will face... the difficult of knowing when to stop riding. 

That said, I’m not sure age would have made a difference here...  when a car pulls out, options are limited. 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, smedly said:

2 hours ago, RandiRona said:

I would argue that for a 83 year old everything is a sudden or surprising event. Car is your best friend on Thai roads.

at 83 I will wager he was 10x the rider you will ever be you disrespectful ####

 

RIP Keith

RIP to the deceased gent...  83 is a good innings and he was still enjoying riding and life by all accounts - props to him... I hope his passing was quick and painless. 

 

That said: I Don’t think the ‘age’ comment is as disrespectful as it is realistic - We all approach an age whereby riding a motorcycle comes with elevated risk based on our age alone due to many factors such as reflexes, vision, mobility etc...  There have been plenty of discussions on this forum regarding when is it the right time to stop riding. 

 

 

 

 

[Doctor Tom]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

was riding along the motorway when the car suddenly pulled out from a side road

There are no side roads on motorways, only slip roads.

 

RIP to the man, its a dangerous business riding motorbikes in this place.  

 

I have one more controversial comment to make  and that is that the standard of driving by female drivers here is appallingly bad.  The men are bad enough, the women are far worse. 

[Rhys]

RIP Keith. 

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, Doctor Tom said:

The men are bad enough, the women are far worse. 

Thats a ridiculous comment... 

 

Some of the worst drivers and riders are the Works pickups, modified pick-up, delivery guys in refrigerated trucks and grab riders....   the vast majority of which are all men. 

 

Your confirmation bias is working over-time if you think females are worse than the men... 

 

The male to female road death stat is 3:1... more males killing themselves on the roads...  but that is probably disproportionate because far more males drive / ride (mostly dangerous riding without a helmet).

[Doctor Tom]

9 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Your confirmation bias is working over-time if you think females are worse than the men... 

They are here, without a shadow of a doubt 

[Andrew65]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

As a long time rider, i can only say that motorcycle is a very good transport solution, that is, until you get into a crash be it your fault or not, seasoned rider or a beginner, if god loved you you'll get out of it lightly, otherwise...

RIP.

When I was a kid motorbikes were known as 'death-traps'. I knew quite a few guys who died on, or very shorthly after they'd been on motorbikes.

[Ralf001]

wowzers, how fast was he riding ?

[crazykopite]

I’m 71 years young my Honda motor bike is now consigned to the garage and has been for a couple of years my mode of transport these days is a car far safer on Thai roads over the years I have had a couple of near misses on the bike non my fault mainly drunk Thais who have been drinking the cheap Thai whiskey from morning to night . RIP Keith I pray that it was a very quick ending and you did not suffer ????????????????????

[Excel]

Just now, crazykopite said:

couple of near misses on the bike non my fault mainly drunk Thais who have been drinking the cheap Thai whiskey from morning to night

If they were near misses, presumably they never stopped. That being the case how did you know they had been drinking Thai whiskey from morning to night ?  Or is that just your opinion as to why that incident occurred without any proof of your accusations ?  Perhaps those Thai guys, after having a near miss with you, may have got home and said the almost identical thing about you ?

[Gottfrid]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Its not a ‘race bike’ looks more like a CB 500 or something similar, comfortable to get around. 

The age thing is something many of us will face... the difficult of knowing when to stop riding. 

That said, I’m not sure age would have made a difference here...  when a car pulls out, options are limited. 

 

 

 

Did I only talk about age? No, I didn't! I was combining that with reactions at old age and driving to fast.

And NO! It is not hard to know  when to stop riding. No one over 70 - 75 years should be riding anything more than a car or a scooter to and back from doing necessary things. Quite simple, when you think like that, isn't it? Also a great way to stay alive, as this is the most or the second most deadly and dangerous country in the world regarding traffic.