Children orphaned as drunk ten wheel trucker kills parents - they were all in the back of a pick-up

[webfact]

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Ban Haet police and rescue services were called after a ten wheel truck plowed into the back of an Isuzu pick-up waiting at the lights yesterday late afternoon.

 

It happened at the Sirinthorn Hospital crossroads on the Mitraphap Highway heading towards Nong Khai in Ban Haet district.

 

The driver of the pick-up and his wife suffered only minor injuries.

 

But a family of four travelling in the bed of the pick-up were thrown onto the road along with their possessions.

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Dead at the scene were Chokechai, 38, and his wife Saifon, 39.

 

Their children aged 11 and 8 were rushed to Sirinthorn Hospital with critical injuries, reported Thai Rath. 

 

The driver of a Hino truck had picked up a load from Khon Kaen and was heading north. He ended up in the central ditch.

 

Thiap Paenoi, 45, the trucker, said he experienced a microsleep.

 

He was drunk, with a 50 mg result.

 

He admitted to drinking a little.

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Pol Capt Preeyathida Sukasa said the family had rented the pick-up to travel from Bangkok to Nong Khai.

Police are waiting on reports before charging the trucker.

 

ASEAN NOW notes that some years ago the Thai government tried to ban people travelling in the rear of pick-ups amid safety concerns.

 

The move failed utterly as such carnage on the roads continues unabated. 

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2022-11-03

 

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[worgeordie]

13 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

He admitted to drinking a little.

Too much !

 

regards Worgeordie

[soi3eddie]

Straight to jail for life is the only suitable sentence.

 

[Bert got kinky]

 

Effective and active policing would most likely have prevented this accident.

I have a friend in the UK who is a total pish-head, ex British military and can still put the ale away.

He drives HGV 1 vehicles for a living and despite his love for the ale, he will not drink alcohol for at least 24 hour before working.

He knows that if he fails a breathalizer he will not only lose his job but he will never be able to get another HGV job, his livelihood will be gone..

 

In Thailand, most of the traffic stops on the highways have less to do with the law than as police income support.

Granted, there will be the occasional clampdown but the 'Big Joke's' of this land will continue to announce the clampdowns in advance and then call the clampdown off as soon as the press have lost interest.

As long as this remains the status quo, we will continue to read about the death and destruction on Thailand's roads.

 

 

[Will B Good]

Drunken, irresponsible driver and flat bed truck loaded with family that don't stand a chance in an accident.....such a criminal waste of life.

 

I always watch my rear view mirror waiting for the lights to change and leave a big enough gap in front of me ready to swerve out of the way.........

[richard_smith237]

This was only a family of poor people... So no need for the big guns to get involved with announcements of a nationwide ‘crack-down’....    (before I’m flamed yes, that was sarcasm btw) 

 

... Seriously though...  every day it becomes more apparent that those in positions of decision making power really do not care enough to impact any change whatsoever. 

We see a lick of paint on the odd pedestrian crossing, a periodic spat of alcohol check-points (agree 100% with the comments posted by ‘bert got kinky’).

- We do not see any efforts to educate people on road safety (or any safety for that matter).

- We do not see any increase in 'on the road policing' of driving standards.

- We do not see any severe penalties for those who break laws.

- We do not see any proactiveness whatsoever.

- We do see only a reaction whenever there are tragic but fully preventable consequences.

- We do see the laziest possible manner of policing with automatic camera fines’ (which ppl don’t pay).

- We do see the laziest possible manner of policing with intermittent check points.

- We do see those who break laws frequently getting away with it with bribes.

- We do see that money can wash away the consequences of breaking laws.

- We do see those in authority (police) breaking the very same laws they are supposed to uphold.

 

 

 

[Bert got kinky]

12 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

This was only a family of poor people... So no need for the big guns to get involved with announcements of a nationwide ‘crack-down’....    (before I’m flamed yes, that was sarcasm btw) 

 

... Seriously though...  every day it becomes more apparent that those in positions of decision making power really do not care enough to impact any change whatsoever. 

We see a lick of paint on the odd pedestrian crossing, a periodic spat of alcohol check-points (agree 100% with the comments posted by ‘bert got kinky’).

- We do not see any efforts to educate people on road safety (or any safety for that matter).

- We do not see any increase in 'on the road policing' of driving standards.

- We do not see any severe penalties for those who break laws.

- We do not see any proactiveness whatsoever.

- We do see only a reaction whenever there are tragic but fully preventable consequences.

- We do see the laziest possible manner of policing with automatic camera fines’ (which ppl don’t pay).

- We do see the laziest possible manner of policing with intermittent check points.

- We do see those who break laws frequently getting away with it with bribes.

- We do see that money can wash away the consequences of breaking laws.

- We do see those in authority (police) breaking the very same laws they are supposed to uphold.

 

 

 

We do see those in authority (police) breaking the very same laws they are supposed to uphold.

You forgot to use the word 'openly', as in, openly breaking the very same laws they are supposed to uphold.

How can you expect someone to follow traffic laws when on a daily basis they see the police blatantly breaking these laws ?

 

[IvorBiggun2]

1 hour ago, soi3eddie said:

Straight to jail for life is the only suitable sentence.

 

Life doesn't mean much in Thailand so his sentence will be about the same.

[IvorBiggun2]

36 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

This was only a family of poor people

It's not that the family were poor, you speculate, it's the fact that Thais see travelling in the back of a pickup as being acceptable, that is the worrying point here. Education education education.

[stoner]

more cultural negligence. 

[Andre0720]

19 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

It's not that the family were poor, you speculate, it's the fact that Thais see travelling in the back of a pickup as being acceptable, that is the worrying point here. Education education education.

Education will never achieve anything here.

Laws.

Enforcement, enforcement, enforcement.

[IvorBiggun2]

30 minutes ago, Andre0720 said:

Enforcement, enforcement, enforcement.

Never never never.

[richard_smith237]

45 minutes ago, Andre0720 said:

Education will never achieve anything here.

Laws.

Enforcement, enforcement, enforcement.

Of course it will... but not on its own.. 

 

Education, enforcement, legislation, fines, improving safety of roads themselves, accountability of businesses, social responsibility...   

 

... it all starts with education and understanding and acceptance of what is required. 

[keithkarmann]

If you ban people in the back of pickups you have to ban many other types transportation. Like the flimsy motorcycle side cars, no more than two on a motorcycle etc, no more travelling on top of trucks, no more school children hanging off the back of songthews, the list goes on and on and nothing is going to change and the carnage will continue until the people in charge of transporting people start treating people as humans and not animals. I have a video somewhere of a pickup converted into a double decker to enable it to carry about 20 workers.

Many times workers travelling in the back of pickups is done to save money and greatly increase profits. 

 

[TheFishman1]

I remember years ago they said riding the back of a pick up was illegal but seeing how the police never enforce anything this will continue to happen TIT

[IvorBiggun2]

3 minutes ago, keithkarmann said:

If you ban people in the back of pickups you have to ban many other types transportation. Like the flimsy motorcycle side cars, no more than two on a motorcycle etc, no more travelling on top of trucks, no more school children hanging off the back of songthews

They're already banned.

[IvorBiggun2]

9 minutes ago, TheFishman1 said:

I remember years ago they said riding the back of a pick up was illegal but seeing how the police never enforce anything this will continue to happen TIT

It was banned 5 years ago but the government backtracked and allowed it during Songkran.

[prakhonchai nick]

Less than 2months till New Year and the road carnage that always goes with it.

 

A proper government would immediately (years too late) introduce a ban on all the things mentioned above. Everyone involved in law breaking, from the drivers to the passengers would receive immediate imprisonment, and drivers would be banned for life. Have a TV blitz - every night on the hour, starting at 8pm! If you know the rules and break them, you know what the punishment will be.

[outsider]

Whatever happened to ban on travelling in back of pick-ups?

 

Exactly the same thing that happened to bans/rulings on helmets, seat belts, DUI, using mobile devices while driving, speeding, riding on pavements, driving/riding against flow, parking etc. etc. - you name it. What happened to all that? Basically nothing. The square-root of jack! Lest one forgets, TiT. When they vow to crackdown on this and enforce that, that's all they are doing - vowing. It's basically hot air. Nothing will happen. When something does happen, the knees will jerk a little, then 'mai bphen rai' and 'sabai sabai' will kick in and everything will be back to 'normal'.

 

 

[CLW]

Why even bother, nothing related to (traffic) law enforcement will ever change without a new government and a radical police reform

[prakhonchai nick]

14 minutes ago, outsider said:

Whatever happened to ban on travelling in back of pick-ups?

 

Exactly the same thing that happened to bans/rulings on helmets, seat belts, DUI, using mobile devices while driving, speeding, riding on pavements, driving/riding against flow, parking etc. etc. - you name it. What happened to all that? Basically nothing. The square-root of jack! Lest one forgets, TiT. When they vow to crackdown on this and enforce that, that's all they are doing - vowing. It's basically hot air. Nothing will happen. When something does happen, the knees will jerk a little, then 'mai bphen rai' and 'sabai sabai' will kick in and everything will be back to 'normal'.

 

 

Sad but true!

[Will B Good]

2 hours ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

It's not that the family were poor, you speculate, it's the fact that Thais see travelling in the back of a pickup as being acceptable, that is the worrying point here. Education education education.

When I give a lift to the Thai family I insist on them wearing their safety belts and refuse to carry any kids under the age of 11.......they think i am totally mad.

[richard_smith237]

3 minutes ago, CLW said:

Why even bother, nothing related to (traffic) law enforcement will ever change without a new government and a radical police reform

More than that IMO... It takes a whole cultural shift... and that takes generations. 

 

So many issues are just ignored, the ‘can kicked down the road’.... 

 

The attitudes towards road safety were atrocious when I came here 25 years ago... 

Is the same with so many issues here... soi dogs, all types of safety (electrical, water, road etc).

 

Had serious attempts been made to deal with these issues we would not be facing them to the extent we do to today..... 

When referring to those in positions of power to impact change and improvement yesterdays generation did nothing to protect todays generation today, todays generation today are doing nothing to protect tomorrows generation tomorrow.... 

 

 

It must be said, this is a lovely country and the criticism of ‘some’ aspects do not mean myself, or others with similar opinions want to ‘hate on Thailand’ or are ‘Thai-bashers’... we love this country which is why we feel emotion when reading such news and seeing Thailand repeatedly fail on these important issues. 

[NorthernRyland]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

... it all starts with education and understanding and acceptance of what is required. 

What does education do if people don't care? Thai people know right and wrong but they don't care. Following the rules is inconvenient so why bother if there are no consequences?

[Nicholas Paul KNIGHT]

Although the op has a valid point, I would be more worried about driving standards and the penaltes incurred and the enforcement of drivers by the authorities`. Which to my7 mind after 30 years a Police officer is lacking in all sections`. by sadly the RTP you know THOSE charged by the Government to Enforce the Laws and PROTECT the Public something they fail it seems on a daily basis  !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Archie Baker]

4 hours ago, Bert got kinky said:

 

Effective and active policing would most likely have prevented this accident.

I have a friend in the UK who is a total pish-head, ex British military and can still put the ale away.

He drives HGV 1 vehicles for a living and despite his love for the ale, he will not drink alcohol for at least 24 hour before working.

He knows that if he fails a breathalizer he will not only lose his job but he will never be able to get another HGV job, his livelihood will be gone..

 

In Thailand, most of the traffic stops on the highways have less to do with the law than as police income support.

Granted, there will be the occasional clampdown but the 'Big Joke's' of this land will continue to announce the clampdowns in advance and then call the clampdown off as soon as the press have lost interest.

As long as this remains the status quo, we will continue to read about the death and destruction on Thailand's roads.

 

 

Assumptions.  Who cares if a good driver had an accident when dui if he serves a purpose in the future. You obviously have not lived in Thailand for long so get real. 

[swm59nj]

In order to enforce something the enforcement agency has to be able to see it.  And do something.  If an enforcement agency is not around then it can’t be enforced 

[JeffersLos]

4 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

Straight to jail for life is the only suitable sentence.

 

He's poor and powerless. So yes, he'll be sentenced to 1,3656,984 and 6/4 years, in front of the media.

 

Plus there'll be a crackdown. Oh yes there'll be a crackdown. 

 

Could even be commandoes in the photographs. 

[Ralf001]

These imbeciles will never learn that riding in the back of a pickup is both illegal and extremely dangerous.

[Baht Simpson]

Sadly I have experience in this area. 8 years ago I was parked at the traffic lights and an 18-wheeler ploughed into the back of us. In the back of the car were a 2 year old and a 5 year old. Both had seat belts on. The 2 year old girl was killed instantly and the 5 year old boy survived but had terrible brain injuries. The two of us in the front survived with minor injuries.

 

The driver of the truck was apparently drunk. 

 

The only point I wish to make is that it's not just about people sitting in the back of pick-ups.