Reckless driver’s wrong-way sedan smash-up leaves one dead (video)

[webfact]

A reckless Thai driver killed a man and injured others when he drove his sedan against the traffic flow in Nonthaburi province, near Bangkok, colliding with a pickup truck.

 

Pak Kret Police Station officers and Poh Teck Tung Rescue Foundation rushed to the accident scene on the Khlong Prapa Overpass in the Pakkret district of Nonthaburi province at about 5.20am yesterday, February 6. Three damaged cars were found, including a black Toyota Vios sedan, a silver bronze Toyota Vios sedan, and a golden bronze Toyota Hilux Vigo pickup.

 

The driver of the black sedan, 32 year old Chayothorn Jaroenphong, was injured and transferred to hospital. The driver of the golden bronze pickup, 25 year old Phurit Jitard, escaped unhurt.

 

The driver of the silver-bronze sedan, 34 year old Suthanon Chuenthotsaphonchai, was trapped inside the damaged car. Officers managed to free him, and immediately administered CPR, but were unable to save his life.

 

by Petch Petpailin 

Photo via MGR Online

 

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2024-02-07

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

 

[flyingtlger]

8 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thai driver killed a man and injured others when he drove his sedan against the traffic flow

This is common in Thailand.

I freaked out the first time I witness this.

I'm surprised there not more fatalities because of this...

[TroubleandGrumpy]

54 minutes ago, flyingtlger said:

This is common in Thailand.

I freaked out the first time I witness this.

I'm surprised there not more fatalities because of this...

Yes it is and I had the same reaction - especially with people on bikes flying along on the 'wrong side'.

The reason is also very common - police do not patrol the roads and pull over those who break the laws.

 

[retarius]

Is driving against the flow of traffic actually illegal? People here don't seem to make any kind of fuss about it as they do back home.

[tmd5855]

6 minutes ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

Yes it is and I had the same reaction - especially with people on bikes flying along on the 'wrong side'.

The reason is also very common - police do not patrol the roads and pull over those who break the laws.

 

Riding my bike from Korat to Chaiyaphum on a dual carriageway around 10am, see the van in front of me suddenly swerve to the left, did same, 2 seconds later a zonked out guy riding bike and sidecar passed me.  If that van driver had never seen the sidecar combo the rider were toast.  Police should monitor roads more.

[HK MacPhooey]

1 hour ago, flyingtlger said:

This is common in Thailand.

I freaked out the first time I witness this.

I'm surprised there not more fatalities because of this...

In any more advanced country the driver of the parcel truck or at least the bus would have stopped at a good distance before the oncoming vehicle, four way flashers on to protect himself from the rear and flashing headlights to warn the idiot to turn around - but at least to protect other following drivers then the other car driver would not be dead today😒

[Almer]

Shocking

[Almer]

What will the penalty for this be?

[richard_smith237]

And in the video, not only do we see the car travelling the wrong way against the traffic, but also a motorcyclist (without a helmet) and that sight is so common, it's become completely normalised.

 

Heck.. even driving a car against traffic is normalised here, the only reason this is news because its cost a life... 

 

How pished up was the driver ??....      they 100% knew they were driving against the flow of traffic otherwise they'd have turned into a side soi to correct their mistake....

[ikke1959]

It is normal in Thailand to drive at the wrong side, and after 17.00 there is no police anymore only in the police offices.. so no news in fact and accidents like this will happen more this year

[JeffersLos]

Still better driving than the wife's. 

[actonion]

50 minutes ago, retarius said:

Is driving against the flow of traffic actually illegal? People here don't seem to make any kind of fuss about it as they do back home.

 Of course its illegal in a country that  follows the law, nobody makes any fuss at all including the government, and police, this is why  the road traffic accident death rate is  so high in Thailand

[richard_smith237]

16 minutes ago, actonion said:

 Of course its illegal in a country that  follows the law, nobody makes any fuss at all including the government, and police, this is why  the road traffic accident death rate is  so high in Thailand

 

IMO - the Road fatality rates here are so high because of lack of helmet wear of Motorcyclists.

 

When removing motorcyclists from the statistics...    and dealing with vehicles of 4 wheels or more, the road fatalities per 100,000 people is actually higher in the USA than it is in Thailand... 

 

Its a difficult statistic to believe, but I've crunched the stats a number of times on this and the result is always the same. 

(if you don't believe it - run your own checks).

 

 

One thing that this stat doesn't account for is KM's covered per average vehicle...  I assume vehicles / people cover more distance in the USA, thus, that could be the reason why the stat shows the USA to be higher.

 

 

 

[hotchilli]

Seems a motorbike had the same idea, going against the flow on the hard shoulder... perfectly normal practice.

[Bangkok Barry]

53 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

they 100% knew they were driving against the flow of traffic otherwise they'd have turned into a side soi to correct their mistake....

 

A Thai will always do what they want to do, regardless of the danger to them or anyone else or the situation. They are utterly ungovernable. It's an interesting part of their culture.

[Mr Dome]

I'd have stopped right in front of them to prevent them from going further. Him actually stopping was the best chance. That would have prevented the needless death.

 

Driver could have had a medical emergency or been drunk.

[Bangkok Barry]

Whenever over the years friends and family in the UK have asked if Thais drive on the left or the right I've always answered, "Yes."

[rwill]

4 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

I'm surprised there not more fatalities because of this...

I'm surprised he wasn't flashing his headlights at the cars going in the correct direction.

[spidermike007]

Anyone with common sense and an IQ above 75 would have immediately made a u-turn and gone with the flow of traffic once they realized their mistake. This imbecile instead chose to continue driving. He should be locked up for a very long time, his family should be fined millions of baht, and an example should be set. There must be a deterrent, without one society simply runs amok. 

[PJ71]

5 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

This is common in Thailand.

I freaked out the first time I witness this.

I'm surprised there not more fatalities because of this...

It's not common, i've been here 23 years and drive on average 3-4000kms per month, i've never witnessed it.

[brianthainess]

That taxi had a close call. The car comes to a stop, a car comes up in front and stops but instead of putting on his hazards to stop him going any further, just drives around him.

Mucking Fental.

[ThaiFelix]

5 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

It is normal in Thailand to drive at the wrong side, and after 17.00 there is no police anymore only in the police offices.. so no news in fact and accidents like this will happen more this year

Ive seen them do it in front of cops because they dont want to go up to the lights and u-turn.  The cops take no notice at all.

[Mr Meeseeks]

On 2/7/2024 at 1:08 PM, richard_smith237 said:

and dealing with vehicles of 4 wheels or more, the road fatalities per 100,000 people is actually higher in the USA than it is in Thailand... 

 

 

The US has many more powerful vehicles as well.

 

Very few fast and performance cars here in Thailand.

[Mr Meeseeks]

21 hours ago, PJ71 said:

It's not common, i've been here 23 years and drive on average 3-4000kms per month, i've never witnessed it.

 

I have seen it several times. 

 

I see motorbikes doing it daily. 

[PJ71]

23 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

 

I have seen it several times. 

 

I see motorbikes doing it daily. 

on the highway like that, unlikely.....

[keithsimmonds]

22 hours ago, PJ71 said:

It's not common, i've been here 23 years and drive on average 3-4000kms per month, i've never witnessed it.

Barcelona Valley Golf complex Bang Chang district it is a regular occurrence...nice new dual carriageway....turn left and make a proper u turn after 1.5 kms...nah not Thai,s... turn right then a km later cross over two lanes of traffic into the fast lane ...what can go wrong?🤔

[still kicking]

On 2/7/2024 at 12:51 PM, TroubleandGrumpy said:

Yes it is and I had the same reaction - especially with people on bikes flying along on the 'wrong side'.

The reason is also very common - police do not patrol the roads and pull over those who break the laws.

 

Yes, you could not do that in my country at all the cops would chase you right away and a big fine coming up. And get charged for reckless driving.