Bus Crash Claims the Lives of Two Bank Employees in Bangkok

[Georgealbert]

 

 

Picture from responders.

 

In an incident on the morning of September 26, two female bank employees lost their lives when a bus collided with and ran over their motorcycle near Prachanukul Intersection in Bangkok. Witnesses reported hearing a loud sound, similar to a vehicle running over something at the time of the accident.

 

At approximately 08:45 Pol. Lt. Col. Chattharapit Jan-urai, Deputy Inspector of Prachachuen Police Station, received a report of a fatal collision involving a bus and a motorcycle at Prachanukul Intersection on Ratchadaphisek Road, Wong Sawang Subdistrict, Bang Sue District. He immediately proceeded to the scene with a medical examiner from Police General Hospital and volunteers from the Poh Teck Tung Foundation.

 

 

Upon arrival, authorities found a Honda Click motorcycle, orange in color, with Bangkok license plates, lying in the middle of the right-most lane of Ratchadaphisek Road. Tragically, the two victims were discovered lifeless at the scene. The victims were identified as Ms. Pimnipa (last name withheld), 34, who was found lying on top of Ms. Manatsanan (last name withheld), 31, the motorcycle's driver.

 

A short distance from the motorcycle, about 5 metres away, an orange air-conditioned bus was parked in the right-most lane. The bus, registered in Bangkok, had visible damage on its right bumper. The bus driver, Mr. Jamnong (last name withheld), 55, remained at the scene and was cooperating with police investigators.

 

According to preliminary investigations, Ms. Manatsanan had been driving the motorcycle with Ms. Pimnipa as her passenger. They were en route to work at a bank branch in Wong Sawang. While making a U-turn under the Prachanukul overpass, the motorcycle was struck from behind by Bus No. 49, which was in the right lane. The impact caused the motorcycle to fall, and both women were tragically run over by the bus.

 

Pol. Lt. Col. Chattharapit reported that Mr. Jamnong stated during questioning that as he was driving in the right lane of Ratchadaphisek Road, heading towards Prachanukul Intersection and preparing to turn right onto Prachachuen Road, he suddenly heard a loud noise near the front right wheel. Upon stopping the bus to investigate, he discovered that the bus had collided with the motorcycle, resulting in the fatalities.

 

Authorities are continuing to interview the driver and review footage from the bus’s front-facing camera and surrounding CCTV to determine the exact cause of the accident. The bodies of the victims have been sent to the Police General Hospital’s forensic unit.

 

Statement from Bangkok Mass Transit Authority, expressing their condolences and apologies to the families of the deceased is below.

 

 

-- 2024-09-27

 

[hotchilli]

9 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

They were en route to work at a bank branch in Wong Sawang. While making a U-turn under the Prachanukul overpass, the motorcycle was struck from behind by Bus No. 49, which was in the right lane. The impact caused the motorcycle to fall, and both women were tragically run over by the bus.

 

Pol. Lt. Col. Chattharapit reported that Mr. Jamnong stated during questioning that as he was driving in the right lane of Ratchadaphisek Road, heading towards Prachanukul Intersection and preparing to turn right onto Prachachuen Road, he suddenly heard a loud noise near the front right wheel. Upon stopping the bus to investigate, he discovered that the bus had collided with the motorcycle, resulting in the fatalities.

Observation not one of his driving skills?

[lordgrinz]

Making a U-Turn into oncoming traffic, without looking first, is a time honored tradition here in Thailand (especially by motorcyclist), lack of training, and common sense. Darwin would be ecstatic to see his theory being proven daily on the streets of Thailand.

[Luuk Chaai]

how many times have you been in the right hand  or U turn lane and had motor bikes squeeze in on the right to try and turn  before you ?

and the non stop lane splitting ..  just remember rule # 1 for the momocycle riders....   ME first !

happens all day long..   just totally defies all sense of having a functioning brain

[Liverpool Lou]

22 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

Making a U-Turn into oncoming traffic, without looking first, is a time honored tradition here in Thailand (especially by motorcyclist), lack of training, and common sense. Darwin would be ecstatic to see his theory being proven daily on the streets of Thailand.

She wasn't U-turning into oncoming traffic causing the deaths, as you suggest by your comment on this thread, her bike was hit from behind by the bus.

Edited 3 hours ago by Liverpool Lou

[lordgrinz]

1 minute ago, Liverpool Lou said:

She wasn't U-turning into oncoming traffic, as you suggest by your comment on this thread, she was hit from behind by the bus.

 

Read again....she U-turned into the lane, which had oncoming traffic in the farthest right lane.

 

Quote

While making a U-turn under the Prachanukul overpass, the motorcycle was struck from behind by Bus No. 49, which was in the right lane.

 

[richard_smith237]

3 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

22 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

Making a U-Turn into oncoming traffic, without looking first, is a time honored tradition here in Thailand (especially by motorcyclist), lack of training, and common sense. Darwin would be ecstatic to see his theory being proven daily on the streets of Thailand.

She wasn't U-turning into oncoming traffic causing the deaths, as you suggest by your comment on this thread, her bike was hit from behind by the bus.

 

She [the deceased rider] U-turned close enough to the bus for it to have hit her.

i.e. she U-turned too closely in front of flowing traffic and was hit by a bus driver who reportedly didn't see the the motorcyclist(s).

 

Either the bus driver wouldn't have been able to 'slow / avoid' anyway, and as mentioned a 'time honoured tradition' of pulling-out without looking. 

 

 

In another thread I mentioned how many motorcyclists are 'saved' by drivers taking avoiding action.

This happens to me frequently - motorcyclists U-turning or pulling out without slowing or looking and I have to hit the anchors...   they ride off blissfully unaware that they were so very nearly hit. 

 

 

Such a waste of life - its astonishing the sheer absense of self-preservation witnessed daily on Thailands roads. 

 

 

 

 

[lordgrinz]

10 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

She [the deceased rider] U-turned close enough to the bus for it to have hit her.

i.e. she U-turned too closely in front of flowing traffic and was hit by a bus driver who reportedly didn't see the the motorcyclist(s).

 

Either the bus driver wouldn't have been able to 'slow / avoid' anyway, and as mentioned a 'time honoured tradition' of pulling-out without looking. 

 

 

In another thread I mentioned how many motorcyclists are 'saved' by drivers taking avoiding action.

This happens to me frequently - motorcyclists U-turning or pulling out without slowing or looking and I have to hit the anchors...   they ride off blissfully unaware that they were so very nearly hit. 

 

 

Such a waste of life - its astonishing the sheer absense of self-preservation witnessed daily on Thailands roads. 

 

Here in Pak Kret they U-Turn in the wrong direction (307 and 306 intersection), or through a Zebra crossing, to save themselves from going a little further to U-turn in the right direction. It's always nice to be U-Turning and have a motorcycle come at you head-on trying to U-turn illegally.

Edited 3 hours ago by lordgrinz

[Liverpool Lou]

10 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

She [the deceased rider] U-turned close enough to the bus for it to have hit her.

i.e. she U-turned too closely in front of flowing traffic and was hit by a bus driver who reportedly didn't see the the motorcyclist(s).

That is your version, not the witnesses version in the OP...

"While making a U-turn under the Prachanukul overpass, the motorcycle was struck from behind by Bus No. 49, which was in the right lane".

[Liverpool Lou]

18 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

Read again....she U-turned into the lane, which had oncoming traffic in the farthest right lane.

I do not need to read it again, the OP made no reference to her "riding into oncoming traffic" being the cause of the deaths, it does state, very clearly, that the bus hit the bike from behind before running over them.

[JeffersLos]

10 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

I do not need to read it again, the OP made no reference to her "riding into oncoming traffic" being the cause of the deaths, it does state, very clearly, that the bus hit the bike from behind before running over them.

 

Oncoming traffic can be from both directions. It means 'Traffic that is coming towards you'.

 

She pulled into traffic that was oncoming in the same direction as her, instead of waiting for it to be clear. Perhaps didn't even look. Just before being hit and run over by that oncoming traffic.

 

What's been wrong with you the last week or so. The new glasses still making you confused about every post you read? 

[lordgrinz]

Just now, Liverpool Lou said:

I do not need to read it again, the OP made no reference to her "riding into oncoming traffic" being the cause of the deaths, it does state, very clearly, that the bus hit the bike from behind before running over them.

 

Willing to bet she was running the middle of those two lanes and moved across the front of that bus with almost no room to spare to make that U-Turn (more than likely anticipating the bus was U-Turning also, which it wasn't), there is no way she was just sitting in the lane waiting to U-Turn, you would just make the turn on a motorcycle. Motorcycles do this dangerous maneuver daily even to me in a small SUV, so I know it happens, do that in front of a bus and you will never be seen. You can see from the picture this is a U-Turn just before a right turn, same as we have here very near the CW immigration office. Hopefully they will show the CCTV at some point, or dashcam footage, if there is any.

[richard_smith237]

43 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

That is your version, not the witnesses version in the OP...

"While making a U-turn under the Prachanukul overpass, the motorcycle was struck from behind by Bus No. 49, which was in the right lane".

 

Are you thinking the bus was also making the U-turn and the U-turn lane was a 'dual lane' U-turn, the bus hitting the girls on the motorcycle ?

 

Or, would could it be that the lane into which the motorcyclist was entering upon completion of the U-Turn was a 'two lane road' in which the bus was in the right most of of the two lanes and 'rear ended' the motorcyclist who'd 'entered that lane' upon completion of the U-Turn...

 

No tit for tat here - just interested in your thoughts if I have misread the report and my version (based on what I read) is incorrect. 

[richard_smith237]

50 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

I do not need to read it again, the OP made no reference to her "riding into oncoming traffic" being the cause of the deaths, it does state, very clearly, that the bus hit the bike from behind before running over them.

 

You are correct...   'no reference in the article to her riding into oncoming traffic'...    but the description of events certainly implies that is exactly what the motorcyclist did - as others have pointed out 'oncoming' can mean many things...

... i.e. if crossing a road, there is 'oncoming traffic'...   the word is not specifically referencing travelling in the opposite direction to the flow of traffic which you seem to imply.

 

Nevertheless, it appear the motorcyclist turned into a lane with 'oncoming traffic'... or would the term 'incoming traffic' be better ??? or approaching traffic.... 

 

Thats the semantics dealt with... 

 

----

 

The incident itself. 

 

Either the motorcyclist pulled out in-front of the bus after making a U-turn. 

Or, the motorcyclist was slowing to make a U-turn and was hit by a the bus.

 

The article is not completely clear which.

Edited 2 hours ago by richard_smith237

[lordgrinz]

7 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Are you thinking the bus was also making the U-turn and the U-turn lane was a 'dual lane' U-turn, the bus hitting the girls on the motorcycle ?

 

Or, would could it be that the lane into which the motorcyclist was entering upon completion of the U-Turn was a 'two lane road' in which the bus was in the right most of of the two lanes and 'rear ended' the motorcyclist who'd 'entered that lane' upon completion of the U-Turn...

 

No tit for tat here - just interested in your thoughts if I have misread the report and my version (based on what I read) is incorrect. 

 

It looks like she got hit before entering the U-Turn, by a bus that was making the next right turn. Like I said earlier, I am guessing she moved across the front of that bus from the left lane, or from the middle of both lanes (anticipating the bus was U-Turning also). I find it hard to believe she was just sitting in the lane waiting to U-Turn, on a motorcycle, that just makes no sense.

Edited 2 hours ago by lordgrinz

[richard_smith237]

3 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

 

It looks like she got hit before entering the U-Turn, by a bus that was making the next right turn. Like I said earlier, I am guessing she moved across the front of that bus from the left lane, or from the middle of both lanes (anticipating the bus was U-Turning also). I find it hard to believe she was just sitting in the lane waiting to U-Turn, on a motorcycle, that just makes no sense.

 

 

Yup... after looking at the photo's some more... I am seeing that likelihood too.