Foreigner Steals Taxi While High on Cannabis, Crashes into Lamp Post

[webfact]

 

Pattaya - Foreign man, reportedly high on cannabis, stole a taxi that was left running outside a convenience store. He drove only a short distance before crashing into a lamp post, causing severe damage to the vehicle and sustaining minor injuries himself.

 

On September 12, Deputy Inspector Puttarak Sonkamhan from Pattaya’s Dongtan Police Station was alerted to an accident where a foreigner had crashed a vehicle into a lamp post on Thappraya-Jomtien Road.

 

At the scene, police found a heavily damaged blue-and-yellow taxi, registration number 721. Behind the wheel was a foreign man, estimated to be between 25-35 years old, visibly intoxicated and wearing only boxer shorts.

 

The man admitted he had smoked cannabis before the incident.

The taxi driver, Sarayut Panprasong, 37, explained that he had left the vehicle running while he entered the store. He saw the foreigner quickly get into the car and drive off before crashing into a nearby lamp post.

 

Fortunately, traffic police conducting an alcohol checkpoint nearby intervened and apprehended the suspect.

The foreign man was taken to the Pattaya Police Station to sober up before further questioning and legal proceedings.

 

Picture courtesy: Daily News

 

-- 2024-09-12
 

 

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[YaiJung]

More anti-cannabis fear-mongering.  No way this was just weed.  People suck so much. 

[JoePai]

a taxi that was left running outside a convenience store    

[connda]

1 minute ago, YaiJung said:

More anti-cannabis fear-mongering.  No way this was just weed.  People suck so much. 

My thoughts exactly.

If they can say, "man stole taxi because he was high" then they can use that as the rationale to ban cannibis.
If they found that the "man was drunk and stole a taxi" well, they're never going to ban alcohol - ever.  But they could using the same rationale.

[CallumWK]

18 minutes ago, YaiJung said:

More anti-cannabis fear-mongering.  No way this was just weed.  People suck so much. 

 

More denial from the potheads

[steven100]

he should stay off the cannabis ....   he was high as a kite.   Lock him up.

 

 

[Ebumbu]

Mental illness and other drugs had nothing to do with it! Propaganda. 

[fredwiggy]

Visibly intoxicated is usually a term used for one being drunk. Noticing a person high on weed isn't that easy until they talk. Might have been stoned but also drunk. Those that never used weed have little idea what it does or how a person acts unless they are around them often. Weed doesn't make a person crash into lampposts.

[radiochaser]

3 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Visibly intoxicated is usually a term used for one being drunk. Noticing a person high on weed isn't that easy until they talk. Might have been stoned but also drunk. Those that never used weed have little idea what it does or how a person acts unless they are around them often. Weed doesn't make a person crash into lampposts.

It can make you sit there at the intersection watching the light turn red, green, red, green, until someone else finally drives up behind you and honks their horn.   
Then you drive off slowly.  

[CallumWK]

17 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Weed doesn't make a person crash into lampposts.

 

More denial

 

https://www.plevinandgallucci.com/marijuana-related-car-accidents/

 

They found that prior to the legalization of marijuana in the state, about 8.8% of drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes tested positive for THC. Over the 12-24 months following legalization, that percentage more than doubled, to 18%. By 2017, the fifth year after legalization, 21.7% of drivers involved in fatal accidents were THC-positive.

 

https://bcmj.org/cohp/cannabis-and-motor-vehicle-crashes

 

There is clear evidence that canna­bis, like alcohol, impairs the psycho­motor skills required for safe driving.[2] Cannabis intoxication slows reaction time and impairs automated tasks such as tracking ability (staying within a lane) or monitoring the speedometer. 

In simulator studies, high doses of cannabis caused drivers to “crash” into a sudden obstacle more often.

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/06/health/marijuana-traffic-accidents-wellness/index.html

 

Car crashes involving weed were serious. In marijuana-involved accidents, nearly 90% of the victims arrived by ambulance, the study found. When no alcohol or cannabis was involved, the number of people that required an ambulance dropped to 40%. In addition, nearly 50% of marijuana users in a car accident required hospital admission, compared to just over 6% of those who did not use.

 

Al propaganda of course.........according to the potheads

[richard_smith237]

17 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Weed doesn't make a person crash into lampposts.

 

I'm not so sure about that....   Driving while high is not something I'd be very keen to attempt... 

... Crossing the road is not something I want to do here while high !!!

 

In fact - in general, if I've taken some dope, I don't want to be out in public at all.

 

 

Not getting on the 'Pro or anti' marijuana bandwagon here because the arguements for and against in such circumstances rely on anecdote and opinions with are too slim on fact. 

 

In this example:

- Its perfectly feasible that this guy was high on Marijuana.

- Its perfectly feasible that this guy was drunk and high on Marijuana.

- Its perfectly feasible that other substances were involved.

 

 

We've no idea - but for those suggesting this could not have been 'only marijuana' seem to be presenting a very 'pro-marijuana' bias and some flawed thinking.

 

This could have simply been a very stupid guy, who got stupidly high, then though it a good idea to take the taxi and smashed it - there's not strong reason to suggest this could not have been the case. 

 

 

[MarkBR]

1 hour ago, YaiJung said:

More anti-cannabis fear-mongering.  No way this was just weed.  People suck so much. 

Indeed, other substances were involved but for some unknown reason they do not tell us.  So, I agree it is cannabis fear-mongering for ulterior motives.

[richard_smith237]

17 minutes ago, CallumWK said:

There is clear evidence that canna­bis, like alcohol, impairs the psycho­motor skills required for safe driving.[2] Cannabis intoxication slows reaction time and impairs automated tasks such as tracking ability (staying within a lane) or monitoring the speedometer. 

In simulator studies, high doses of cannabis caused drivers to “crash” into a sudden obstacle more often.

 

100% agree..... 

 

I think the arguments presented so far imply that another substance was involved as 'weed makes lovers not fighters'...   i.e. under the consumption of marijuana people become chilled, less aggressive etc...   they are usually comparing to violent drunks etc.

 

Nevertheless, marijuana has psychoactive properties which makes people do strange things...    things as strange as seeing a running car and thinking... I'll take it for a drive !!! 

[richard_smith237]

3 minutes ago, MarkBR said:

1 hour ago, YaiJung said:

More anti-cannabis fear-mongering.  No way this was just weed.  People suck so much. 

Indeed, other substances were involved but for some unknown reason they do not tell us.  So, I agree it is cannabis fear-mongering for ulterior motives.

 

So, both of you think it impossible that someone consumes Marijuana and gets sufficiently high to do something as stupid as seeing a running car and thinking they'll go for a spin ????

 

 

 

 

[fredwiggy]

8 minutes ago, CallumWK said:

 

More denial

 

https://www.plevinandgallucci.com/marijuana-related-car-accidents/

 

https://bcmj.org/cohp/cannabis-and-motor-vehicle-crashes

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/06/health/marijuana-traffic-accidents-wellness/index.html

 

Al propaganda of course.........according to the potheads

No, I agree that any drug might impair driving, especially if done right after using. Many people who smoke weed also are drinkers, if not almost all, and I'm sure many of the accidents they had also involved having alcohol in the system, which isn't good if combined of course. You might want to read those links...........Many British Columbia drivers use cannabis. Cannabis impairs the psychomotor skills required for safe driving, and the available epidemiological evidence suggests that canna­bis does increase the risk of crashing. However, this risk, and how it varies with cannabis dose, is not well quantified...............................

In simulator studies, high doses of cannabis caused drivers to “crash” into a sudden obstacle more often. However, the impairment caused by so-called equivalent doses of cannabis and alcohol differ in important ways. Moderate doses of cannabis impair highly automated tasks but leave complex functions such as interpretation and anticipation of traffic patterns relatively intact whereas alcohol has the opposite effect. 

In experimental driving conditions, cannabis users tend to reduce their driving speed and are less likely to attempt to overtake and pass another vehicle, whereas drunk drivers tend to drive faster and more ag­gressively.[3] Furthermore, cannabis users tend to overestimate their im­pairment whereas people who used alcohol underestimate theirs.[2-4] ....................This doesn't exclude weed from causing accidents of course, because  many of those in accidents were also drinking. Personally when I have driven after using weed, I always drove slower and more cautious, whereas alcohol does the opposite. I have never know anyone who was involved in an accident where weed was the culprit. Alcohol? Many times. Not an excuse but just reality.

[MarkBR]

4 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

So, both of you think it impossible that someone consumes Marijuana and gets sufficiently high to do something as stupid as seeing a running car and thinking they'll go for a spin ????

 

 

 

 

That is a definite symptom of alcohol, thinking they are still capable for driving.  If you know of valid evidence on the impairment of driving by cannabis consumption (low-strength to high-strength - there may be a difference) I would be grateful & interested to read these articles.

Alcohol is known to be highly deleterious, hence all the laws against drinking & driving.   I would suspect strongly that alcohol was involved.

PS I do not use cannnabis in any form.

[retarius]

1 hour ago, YaiJung said:

More anti-cannabis fear-mongering.  No way this was just weed.  People suck so much. 

Was never my experience. I could recognise that being drunk, I drive faster and more aggressively, and more dangerously. On weed only I was, according to my passengers, much less aggressive, slower and safer

[Gottfrid]

39 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Visibly intoxicated is usually a term used for one being drunk. Noticing a person high on weed isn't that easy until they talk. Might have been stoned but also drunk. Those that never used weed have little idea what it does or how a person acts unless they are around them often. Weed doesn't make a person crash into lampposts.

Nah, under normal circumstances you are right. However, this guy might not have had a driving license. 🤣

[richard_smith237]

13 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Personally when I have driven after using weed, I always drove slower and more cautious, whereas alcohol does the opposite. I have never know anyone who was involved in an accident where weed was the culprit. Alcohol? Many times. Not an excuse but just reality.

 

Could this be becase weed is a lot less prevalent until recently ?... and thus, due to its illegality was more likely to be consumed in the privacy one ones home, ergo the lack of people driving, which naturally means less accidents. 

 

Anecdotal information of personal use - I don't think I'd be able to drive while high.

I'd be dangerous, more likely to fall asleep too.

 

As you pointed out - this guy may also have been drinking as there is a higher probability of 'dual use' - particularly in a tourist resort.

 

But that doe not omit the fact that weed was a contributory factor. 

IF while 'only' drunk he may not have made the choice to drive, weed was the additional factor that got him so smashed he was 'tipped over the edge' so to speak... (or not, there is no real way of telling').

 

But... just because 'weed was involved' does not imply a 'anti-marijuana agenda' as some are suggesting....  Though it would be interesting to know what the guys breathalyser result was, just to close out speculation.

 

Either way: driving under the influence of booze or weed is very very stupid, selfish, dangerous etc etc.

 

 

[NanLaew]

55 minutes ago, CallumWK said:

 

More denial

 

https://www.plevinandgallucci.com/marijuana-related-car-accidents/

 

They found that prior to the legalization of marijuana in the state, about 8.8% of drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes tested positive for THC. Over the 12-24 months following legalization, that percentage more than doubled, to 18%. By 2017, the fifth year after legalization, 21.7% of drivers involved in fatal accidents were THC-positive.

 

https://bcmj.org/cohp/cannabis-and-motor-vehicle-crashes

 

There is clear evidence that canna­bis, like alcohol, impairs the psycho­motor skills required for safe driving.[2] Cannabis intoxication slows reaction time and impairs automated tasks such as tracking ability (staying within a lane) or monitoring the speedometer. 

In simulator studies, high doses of cannabis caused drivers to “crash” into a sudden obstacle more often.

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/06/health/marijuana-traffic-accidents-wellness/index.html

 

Car crashes involving weed were serious. In marijuana-involved accidents, nearly 90% of the victims arrived by ambulance, the study found. When no alcohol or cannabis was involved, the number of people that required an ambulance dropped to 40%. In addition, nearly 50% of marijuana users in a car accident required hospital admission, compared to just over 6% of those who did not use.

 

Al propaganda of course.........according to the potheads

 

Nice work @CallumWK

 

And now, a response from the potheads.

 

 

 

[fredwiggy]

22 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Could this be becase weed is a lot less prevalent until recently ?... and thus, due to its illegality was more likely to be consumed in the privacy one ones home, ergo the lack of people driving, which naturally means less accidents. 

 

Anecdotal information of personal use - I don't think I'd be able to drive while high.

I'd be dangerous, more likely to fall asleep too.

 

As you pointed out - this guy may also have been drinking as there is a higher probability of 'dual use' - particularly in a tourist resort.

 

But that doe not omit the fact that weed was a contributory factor. 

IF while 'only' drunk he may not have made the choice to drive, weed was the additional factor that got him so smashed he was 'tipped over the edge' so to speak... (or not, there is no real way of telling').

 

But... just because 'weed was involved' does not imply a 'anti-marijuana agenda' as some are suggesting....  Though it would be interesting to know what the guys breathalyser result was, just to close out speculation.

 

Either way: driving under the influence of booze or weed is very very stupid, selfish, dangerous etc etc.

 

 

Back in the 70's and 80's was when I used most and knew most of my friends did. It's more available now because it's becoming legal in more places all the time, but it's use was heavy all along. More people now, more users. Most of my friends used anywhere they wanted, including while driving. It just made everyone slow down.Most people who are against weed have never tried it and still look at it as the demon weed others did decades ago. Those that have tried it know better. Those that are against it are many times okay with drinking alcohol, although alcohol is responsible for most accidents and especially fatal ones. Driving should always be done totally sober I agree, but that'll never happen because so many like to get high and think it'll never happen to me.

[Taboo2]

It has been a week since weed was blamed...I was getting worried....5555.

[Polaky]

Russian/Chinese?

[Patong2021]

1 hour ago, fredwiggy said:

Visibly intoxicated is usually a term used for one being drunk. Noticing a person high on weed isn't that easy until they talk. Might have been stoned but also drunk. Those that never used weed have little idea what it does or how a person acts unless they are around them often. Weed doesn't make a person crash into lampposts.

 

I don't know. I have it on good authority that it is possible. It's laid out in this documentary. It's an insidious diabolical affliction. Look these kids going savage, fighting, and jumping from buildings!

 

 

 

[rumeaug]

For all "negationistas". Yes, cannabis does get you high and out of your witts

[Zack61]

It seemed like a good idea at the time. 

[Satcommlee]

It wasn;t my fault, the guy in the Bar said I should leave my car and take a Taxi home

[BigStar]

What we need to mellow out here is a hit of Cheech and Chong, Up in Smoke:

 

 

[ronster]

So basically steaming drunk and had a joint or two ! 

Not just stoned as it insinuates 🙄

[NorthernRyland]

Lock him up in the same cell with this guy.