This injury would have to fall into the most bizarre category. Though not impossible, it's hard to fathom somebody driving around on a motorbike stabbing random people. Let us hope that is not what actually happened, because that would establish a pretty horrific precedent.

This guy is a legend by the way, he stepped in for Schumacher when he broke his leg in 1999 – he was winning, but he obeyed team orders to let teammate Eddie Irvine pass him (and help Irvine's championship battle against Mika Häkkinen). Irvine handed Salo the winner's trophy after the race as a thank you.

15 hours ago, johng said:

Ok whatever.... I'm sure it will all eventually come out in the wash

as to what 'really' happened.

Thailand has been my home for over a quarter of a century.

I've worked in some of the worst places on the planet, you'd expect a random slashing in those countries, not Thailand.

Anyway, Salo's story just gives fuel for the haters.

UPDATE

F1 Legend Salo Attack Probe Expands in Bangkok

I have seen grinders and strimmers being carried on motorbikes.

Both of these could cause this kind of injury and give the impression it was a deliberate slashing.

Also there is a long history in Bangkok of Western tourists being hit when crossing the road. The reasons for this are obvious. Western traffic norms diverge significantly from Thai traffic norms.

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UPDATE

Mika Salo Says Bangkok Injury Was Probably an Accident

So - a little more information has emerged (and affirmed with the above update).

Mika Salo now appears to have publicly walked back the idea that this was an attack, instead describing it as an accident. Whether that change of tone came voluntarily or under a certain degree of “encouragement” is open to interpretation.

What remains awkward and confusing, however, is Salo’s original statement that hospital staff told him others arrived with similar injuries that same night. That detail naturally fuels the theory that some unhinged idiot was riding around on a motorcycle attacking pedestrians.

At this stage, this still appears to have been a random lunatic slashing whoever was nearby. But reports of multiple similar injuries make the “isolated accident” explanation harder to swallow.

Poor timing and an exposed footpeg on a passing bike is possible once.

Several comparable injuries in one evening starts sounding less like coincidence and more like someone treating Bangkok roads as a live-action video game.

What’s perhaps most interesting is that Thai police, along with the Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner, reportedly tracked Salo down at his hotel after the story gained attention. Shortly afterwards, Salo publicly stated that this was merely a one-off accident - hmmmmm....

I do hope the police are still looking out for any CCTV and tracking down any other similar incidents - interviewing hospital staff and verifying if there were multiple occurrences.

It has not been stated exactly 'where' this incident occurred - but if in an area of high tourist footfall - there must be CCTV footage - and the accident or deliberate incident can be confirmed - because if there is a lunatic out there slashing at pedestrians - they need to be caught very very quickly.

On 5/25/2026 at 8:57 PM, johng said:

Ok whatever.... I'm sure it will all eventually come out in the wash

as to what 'really' happened.

Yep, the wash has been hung out to dry.

I was right.

On 5/25/2026 at 4:42 PM, SAFETY FIRST said:

I reckon the F1 guy is telling porky pies.

7 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Yep, the wash has been hung out to dry.

I was right.

You still think he is telling 'porky pies' ?

On 5/24/2026 at 3:06 PM, rattlesnake said:

"May have been"… Nothing confirmed and it certainly could have been caused by a protruding footpeg, given the height.

Why is there no media coverage of that? It would be very serious if true. Maybe that's not quite what the hospital staff said/meant to say (language barrier)?

It sounds like maybe some nutter has attached a blade to foot peg?

2 minutes ago, neverere said:

It sounds like maybe some nutter has attached a blade to foot peg?

Nah, I was thinking footpeg at speed but it appears it was a numberplate.

Those numberplates without their plastic enclosures can be razor sharp.

37 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Nah, I was thinking footpeg at speed but it appears it was a numberplate.

Those numberplates without their plastic enclosures can be razor sharp.

I can see how it could have been a number-plate that was sticking out.

Was it even at a pedestrian crossing ? did a motorcycle blow through the crossing without stopping (I know normal here) but in this case the motorcyclist broke the law and hit a pedestrian injuring them.

In another story a motorcyclist has hit a pedestrian seriously injuring them and he's facing a whole litany of charges.

It would also be interesting to get to the bottom of the statement that Salo had reported the the hospital staff told him there were multiple similar injuries that same evening.

Did he fabricate that story? Did the Finnish media exaggerate and fabricate that story?

Or was the original information from the hospital exagerated ? some miscommunication perhaps?

Police need to confirm with CCTV exactly what happend.

Police need to confirm with the hospital(s) that no further similar injuries occurred and that this was truly a one off.

Police need to also source the original motorcyclist and charge him with reckless riding, find out if he was licensed, charge him with having an non-road worthy and dangerous vehicle etc ?

IF this were a Thai doctor who was hit - there would be media outrage already !!!

28 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I can see how it could have been a number-plate that was sticking out.

Was it even at a pedestrian crossing ? did a motorcycle blow through the crossing without stopping (I know normal here) but in this case the motorcyclist broke the law and hit a pedestrian injuring them.

In another story a motorcyclist has hit a pedestrian seriously injuring them and he's facing a whole litany of charges.

It would also be interesting to get to the bottom of the statement that Salo had reported the the hospital staff told him there were multiple similar injuries that same evening.

Did he fabricate that story? Did the Finnish media exaggerate and fabricate that story?

Or was the original information from the hospital exagerated ? some miscommunication perhaps?

Police need to confirm with CCTV exactly what happend.

Police need to confirm with the hospital(s) that no further similar injuries occurred and that this was truly a one off.

Police need to also source the original motorcyclist and charge him with reckless riding, find out if he was licensed, charge him with having an non-road worthy and dangerous vehicle etc ?

IF this were a Thai doctor who was hit - there would be media outrage already !!!

I agree with most of what you've said.

What needs to be investigated as a priority is this statement below which made headlines abroad.

According to Salo, hospital staff later told him that several patients arrived with similar slash wounds on the same evening and overnight. He said the incidents appeared to have happened in the same area near his hotel.