Five foreign tourists injured as Fortuner toppples down ravine on Hill Tribe tour in Chiang Rai - driver dead

[webfact]

Picture: Naew Na

 

Naew Na reported on an accident on the hill leading up to Moo Ban Akha Pang Klang a popular tourist area in Chiang Rai, northern Thailand.

 

A Toyota Fortuner and been driven off the dirt track and toppled 30 meters down a ravine flipping many times.

It ended up in the Mae Sat creek.

 

The driver Weerawat, 51, from Chiang Mai, was reportedly thrown out of the vehicle then crushed and drowned under its weight in the creek.

 

Five tourists were injured, three seriously.

 

Picture: Naew Na

 

Of those three two were men and one a woman.

 

They are believed to be from Israel. 

 

The injured were taken to Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital.

 

Picture: Naew Na

 

The vehicle was one of five in convoy out of Chiang Mai on a tourism trip to visit Hill Tribe villages.

 

The Fortuner in the accident was the first of the five and police believe unfamiliarity with the road led the driver to make a mistake.

 

Investigations continue. 

 

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[worgeordie]

49 minutes ago, webfact said:

The Fortuner in the accident was the first of the five and police believe unfamiliarity with the road led the driver to make a mistake.

So it's the roads fault ....????

 

regards worgeordie 

[Jerno]

Simply poor driving skills.  Be careful enough and these types of accidents should never happen.

[roo860]

55 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

So it's the roads fault ....????

 

regards worgeordie 

Gotta be somethings fault, not the muppet driver. 

[KannikaP]

4 minutes ago, roo860 said:

Gotta be somethings fault, not the muppet driver. 

Come on, it says the driver made a mistake. 

[KhunBENQ]

Poor driving and could still live if used seat belts.

They will never learn, just grin if you insist on buckle up.

Is it in the genes?

[PJ71]

13 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Poor driving and could still live if used seat belts.

They will never learn, just grin if you insist on buckle up.

Is it in the genes?

Not sure what good seat belts would have done toppling 30m down a hill and flipping multiple times?

 

But yeah clunk click does the trick.

[KhunBENQ]

12 minutes ago, PJ71 said:

Not sure what good seat belts would have done toppling 30m down a hill and flipping multiple times?

 

But yeah clunk click does the trick.

Think again.

Would the driver be thrown out of the car and buried when buckled up?

Five (foreign!) tourists survived more or less injured.

Edited January 13, 2023 by KhunBENQ

[Moonlover]

9 minutes ago, PJ71 said:

Not sure what good seat belts would have done toppling 30m down a hill and flipping multiple times?

 

But yeah clunk click does the trick.

5 passengers, survived this accident. They were, apparently all from Israel where seatbelt wearing is compulsory, so it's likely they continued the habit here as well especially given Thailand's reputation.

 

[PJ71]

4 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Think again.

Would the driver be thrown out of the car and buried when buckled up?

Five (foreign!) tourists survived more or less injured.

He might be squashed.

 

When i was younger, a friend of mines life was saved by being thrown clear out the windscreen in a crash, he was left with horrific scars tho, my other friend who was buckled up unfortunately died.

 

In this instance you maybe be correct, it may have been, and usually always is, better to be buckled up.

 

Not a common wreck this one.

[Burma Bill]

A very sad accident, and whatever the cause, it is essential to have knowledge of, and full concentration of many roads and tracks in the Hill Tribe mountain areas. I know, I was a Tourist Police Volunteer based in Chiang Rai. Stock photo:-

 

 

RIP the driver.

Edited January 13, 2023 by Burma Bill
additional information

[BananaStrong]

Most dangerous roads in the world doesn’t apply to my activities on the road.   Hmmmmmmm….. whose driving?   I don’t know him.  OK, let’s go!   

[RichardColeman]

Thailand well on track for a record number of deaths and serious accidents to foreigners in 2023 - be interesting to know where Thailand ranks in the 'deaths of tourists on holiday not including war zones' !!

[KannikaP]

2 hours ago, PJ71 said:

Not sure what good seat belts would have done toppling 30m down a hill and flipping multiple times?

 

But yeah clunk click does the trick.

 

[BusyB]

4 hours ago, PJ71 said:

Not sure what good seat belts would have done toppling 30m down a hill and flipping multiple times?

 

But yeah clunk click does the trick.

It would've stopped the driver being thrown out - the main cause of death from people not buckled up.

[jtrump]

4 hours ago, PJ71 said:

Not sure what good seat belts would have done toppling 30m down a hill and flipping multiple times?

 

But yeah clunk click does the trick.

Probably would have saved his life like it did the rest of the passengers.  Can't get thrown out of a vehicle if you have the seat belts on.

[roo860]

1 hour ago, KannikaP said:

 

Ah, Sir Jimmy Saville, legend!

[KannikaP]

1 minute ago, roo860 said:

Ah, Sir Jimmy Saville, legend!

Bell end more like it.

[Bangkok Barry]

6 hours ago, Jerno said:

Simply poor driving skills.  Be careful enough and these types of accidents should never happen.

Had one close to my house last night on a long straight road. My wife went to help out and said that a car had driven into the back of a slow-moving sugar cane lorry which had no lights. Lights or not, how one can not see a gigantic lorry in front of you is beyond belief. That's what headlights are for. Another accident that should never have happened. And that makes more than 20 over the past 10 years within 300 metres or so of my house. 

[rwill]

Who pays their medical bills???

[keithkarmann]

9 hours ago, roo860 said:

Gotta be somethings fault, not the muppet driver. 

Thais never at fault. 

[Scott]

Troll post reported and removed.  

 

[hotchilli]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

The Fortuner in the accident was the first of the five and police believe unfamiliarity with the road led the driver to make a mistake.

Or just another poor driver. If he was unfamiliar with the road why put him in the lead, why not in the middle or at the back?

Edited January 13, 2023 by hotchilli

[hotchilli]

17 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Poor driving and could still live if used seat belts.

They will never learn, just grin if you insist on buckle up.

Is it in the genes?

It sure as hell isn't between the ears.

[Lopchan]

On 1/13/2023 at 9:19 AM, worgeordie said:

So it's the roads fault ....????

 

regards worgeordie 

No...please read it again...... "Unfamiliarity with the road" meaning the driver's unfamiliarity..........

[IvorBiggun2]

22 hours ago, roo860 said:

Ah, Sir Jimmy Saville, legend!

I'll correct that for you. Leg End.

[roo860]

9 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

I'll correct that for you. Leg End.

Now then, now then!

[2009]

On 1/13/2023 at 11:15 AM, PJ71 said:

Not sure what good seat belts would have done toppling 30m down a hill and flipping multiple times?

 

But yeah clunk click does the trick.

Uhm, perhaps he wouldn't have been thrown out of the vehicle, and then crushed and drowned by that vehicle.

[novacova]

This story epitomizes the reason to drive yourself.

[IvorBiggun2]

On 1/13/2023 at 3:27 PM, jtrump said:

Can't get thrown out of a vehicle if you have the seat belts on.

Unfortunately that is not correct. 

 

Quote

Seat belts can fail for several reasons: Seat belts can unlatch during an accident. They can unlatch inertially, when crash forces cause the buckle to release. They can unlatch inadvertently, when accidentally hit by an occupant or something in the vehicle during the accident.