BMW driver hits motorcycle, causing fatal crash in Pathum Thani

[webfact]

A BMW driver rear-ended a motorcycle carrying three people, resulting in one fatality and two injuries. The driver claimed the motorcycle abruptly stopped in front of him, leaving him with no time to brake.

 

A collision occurred this morning, July 2, on the bridge returning from Phahonyothin Road to Phahonyothin Road in front of a bone factory in Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani. The incident was reported to Police Lieutenant Warut Bhumibak of the Khlong Luang Police Station. Medical examiners from Thammasat University Hospital also attended the scene.

 

The crash resulted in the death of 23 year old Pornpan who was found lying in front of a white BMW with Bangkok registration plates. Nearby was a damaged Yamaha NMAX motorcycle with Nakhon Nayok registration plates. The motorcycle’s rear end was heavily damaged from the impact.

 

According to reports, the BMW driver, 23 year old Thanakorn claimed that the motorcycle was travelling in front of him and suddenly stopped. He could not brake in time and collided with the motorcycle. Two other individuals on the motorcycle, 21 year old Waraporn and another woman who has not been identified, sustained injuries. They were promptly taken to Paolo Rangsit Hospital by the Ruamkatanyu Foundation officials.

An eyewitness, 36 year old Surathian recounted that he was driving behind the BMW when it overtook him. He then saw the BMW stop on the bridge and the driver get out.

 

“I saw the motorcycle fall, with two injured people. I couldn’t see the person lying under the car. All three people on the motorcycle were women.”

 

Thanakorn echoed this account.

 

“The motorcycle was in front of me and stopped. I couldn’t brake in time and hit it hard.”

 

Following the examination of the scene, Police Lieutenant Warut documented the incident and had the Ruamkatanyu Foundation transport the deceased to Thammasat University Hospital for further examination. Thanakorn was taken to Khlong Luang Police Station for additional questioning, reported KhaoSod.

 

by Puntid Tantivangphaisal

Photo courtesy of KhaoSod

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-07-02

 

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[Gottfrid]

7 minutes ago, webfact said:

The driver claimed the motorcycle abruptly stopped in front of him, leaving him with no time to brake.

Ok, no problem. You drive BMW. We take your word for it. But, you know, there is the law, legal proceedings an so on.......... How about a contribution?

[Geoffggi]

28 minutes ago, webfact said:

“The motorcycle was in front of me and stopped. I couldn’t brake in time and hit it hard.”

So, if what he is saying is true the brakes on a motorcycle are better than a BMW ??? Alternatively, the BMW driver was not paying full attention and driving beyond his capabilities !!!!!

[Peabody]

Admission of fault. If you couldn't stop in time, then, by definition, you were following too closely. 

[JoePai]

32 minutes ago, Geoffggi said:

Alternatively, the BMW driver was not paying full attention and driving beyond his capabilities !!!!!

To be fair, how could he, he was trying to send an SMS to say he wanted noodles for his evening meal

[mancub]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Surathian recounted that he was driving behind the BMW when it overtook him.

Odd manoeuvre that !

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, Geoffggi said:

So, if what he is saying is true the brakes on a motorcycle are better than a BMW ??? Alternatively, the BMW driver was not paying full attention and driving beyond his capabilities !!!!!

 

38 minutes ago, JoePai said:

To be fair, how could he, he was trying to send an SMS to say he wanted noodles for his evening meal

 

Exactly this...     Cars have better braking than motorbikes (at least the average car has better braking)...

In this case, as pointed out...  the driver was either too close and / or reacted too slowly, or something else occurred that isn't quite as described.

 

Another facet to this: Isn't 3-up on a motorcycle illegal - so they should not have been on the road in that 'condition' in the first place - did the '3-up' lead to the erratic riding and stopping in the middle of the road. 

 

Silly riding from the motorcyclist - Riding safety 101 means never stopping and leaving yourself exposed in the road - did they swerve in front of the car.

 

 

That said: the a driver should never be hitting anything stopping in front of them, whether they were on the road legally or not.

 

---------

 

And.. Were the motorcyclists wearing helmets - I assume no.

Would wearing of a helmet have prevented the fatality ? (according to removes, in 50% of incidents where a helmet was not work resulting in death a helmet would have prevent death)... 

Thus: should a driver be held accountable for a road death of a motorcyclist was on the road illegally not wearing a helmet which could have prevented serious head injury leading to death ???

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

7 minutes ago, mancub said:

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Surathian recounted that he was driving behind the BMW when it overtook him.

Odd manoeuvre that !

 

Not really - it would appear that Surathian was an eye witness who was following the BWM which had previously overtaken him....  (if I'm not mistaken the scene unfolded in front of him), 

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

An eyewitness, 36 year old Surathian recounted that he was driving behind the BMW when it overtook him. He then saw the BMW stop on the bridge and the driver get out.

 

“I saw the motorcycle fall, with two injured people. I couldn’t see the person lying under the car. All three people on the motorcycle were women.”

 

[richard_smith237]

38 minutes ago, Peabody said:

Admission of fault. If you couldn't stop in time, then, by definition, you were following too closely. 

 

Possibly, unless the motorcycle swerved in front of the car then suddenly stopped...   

 

There are scenarios where the following car may not be at fault - we'd need a video to be able to evaluate that as the description remains sketchy and lends to trying to image what happens which will naturally involve some assumptions. 

[mancub]

8 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Not really - it would appear that Surathian was an eye witness who was following the BWM which had previously overtaken him....  (if I'm not mistaken the scene unfolded in front of him), 

 

 

Do you not think that it should read .....

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

he was driving behind the BMW when it overtook him

He was driving behind  the BMW after it had overtaken him.

[Peterphuket]

I learnt during driving lessons that you should always keep enough braking distance, it's all so simple, but yes that was almost 60 years ago, apparently there are different rules today.
That reminds me last Sunday on the Phetkasem Road from BKK towards Hua-Hin, there are stretches there where you are allowed to drive 120km/h, which I was driving at the time, and then someone goes and hangs behind you 5 metres away....that's what I mean.

 

[Bangkok Barry]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

He could not brake in time and collided with the motorcycle.

 

,,,, as he was driving too fast and too close to the vehicle in front. But of course, in Thailand it is always someone else's fault.

[Purdey]

Off topic a bit.

 

Has anyone noticed that no one cries it is BMW's (or any other car manufacturer's) fault for the accident, stop blaming the drivers; that the manufacturers overproduce cars and need to be held responsible for all the deaths they cause? No?

 

But that's exactly what they say about plastic bottles. 🤔

[Georgealbert]

It would appear that one victim was trapped under the car, which seems to match the eye witness statement, “I  saw the motorcycle fall, with two injured people. I couldn't see the person lying under the car.” Picture of the response shows rescuers gaining access to one of the women under the car.

 

[Gottfrid]

2 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

So, if what he is saying is true the brakes on a motorcycle are better than a BMW ??? Alternatively, the BMW driver was not paying full attention and driving beyond his capabilities !!!!!

No no! MC against BMW driver. Just must understand that ain´t gonna work 😉 

[IvorBiggun2]

1 hour ago, Peabody said:

Admission of fault. If you couldn't stop in time, then, by definition, you were following too closely. 

Not true. I was driving down a country road when out from my right came a motorcyclist and cut in front of me. He braked and I braked and I hit him. The guy on the motorcycle only had one leg his other was wooden. Being as I rear ended him the police decided I was at fault even though he shouldn't have been on the road. Cutting the story short. 

I had a dashcam at the time of the accident in my front window so was able to show the police the accident. They then decided the motorcyclist was at fault and were going to fine him 1500 Baht. Being as he was so poor they decided not to take the fine. So just because you rear-end someone it's not all done and dusted who's at fault. Video attached start watching 4:10 minutes.  

 

 

[Bangkok Barry]

 

If the car was a Nissan or Ford, would the headline have said so? I think not. But a BMW somehow is relevant. Strange.

[IvorBiggun2]

1 minute ago, Bangkok Barry said:

If the car was a Nissan or Ford, would the headline have said so? I think not. But a BMW somehow is relevant. Strange.

Same applies when a dog bites a person. No headlines but call the dog a 'Pitbull' and you've got a story.

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, Peabody said:

Admission of fault. If you couldn't stop in time, then, by definition, you were following too closely. 

That is the case most of the time, and looks like it was in this case, but I have been overtaking on the centre lane and then been overtaken in the third lane with another vehicle which then moves directly in front of me drastically cutting down my breaking space causing me to slow down to prevent me riding up his/her a$$. So don't always assume that someone hitting a rear end is automatically at fault although in the vast majority of cases they are.

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, mancub said:

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Not really - it would appear that Surathian was an eye witness who was following the BWM which had previously overtaken him....  (if I'm not mistaken the scene unfolded in front of him), 

 

 

Do you not think that it should read .....

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

he was driving behind the BMW when it overtook him

He was driving behind  the BMW after it had overtaken him.

 

I do... but then we'd be going down the rabbit hole of picking apart the language used in an very poorly written article in an overseas media publication when its a far simpler task to grasp the concept of what was actually meant... 

[richard_smith237]

20 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

Same applies when a dog bites a person. No headlines but call the dog a 'Pitbull' and you've got a story.

 

That perhaps has more to do with damage caused...  If it was a soi dog, a Golden Retriever ripping off a postmans arm, mauling its owner to death, ripping off a childs face etc... I'm sure it would reach the media.

 

 

[IvorBiggun2]

21 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

That perhaps has more to do with damage caused...

What a load of tosh

[Korat Kiwi]

Although it appears to be the BMW driver at fault,  what's the legality of having 3 on a scooter? 

 

So sad all round. 

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

A BMW driver rear-ended a motorcycle carrying three people, resulting in one fatality and two injuries. The driver claimed the motorcycle abruptly stopped in front of him, leaving him with no time to brake.

Oldest excuse in the book.

[BangkokReady]

Quote

BMW driver hits motorcycle, causing fatal crash in Pathum Thani

 

it sounds more like the the BMW hitting the motorcycle was the crash.

[BangkokReady]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

According to reports, the BMW driver, 23 year old Thanakorn claimed that the motorcycle was travelling in front of him and suddenly stopped. He could not brake in time and collided with the motorcycle.

 

Amazing that the guy has the nerve to say this when it proves his responsibility.  I guess he thinks it's OK because the breaking was sudden.

[cdemundo]

5 hours ago, Peabody said:

Admission of fault. If you couldn't stop in time, then, by definition, you were following too closely. 

This is my understanding as well.

I would guess there are very few exceptions to this.