Finnish Man killed in Third Road accident.

Police were called to the scene of a fatal road crash on Pattaya Third Road in front of Soi 21 on Saturday Afternoon which claimed the life of a Finnish Resident of Pattaya. The crash involved a Honda Phantom motorbike driven by the victim, Mr. Johannes Sulvei aged 51 from Finland and a Silver Honda City driven by Mr. John Faulkner aged 58 from England who was uninjured despite extensive damage to the front of his vehicle. According to accounts from Mr. Faulkner and eye witnesses, the motorbike was driving against the flow of traffic in the wrong lane. Mr. Faulkner was unable to avoid a collision with the bike. By all accounts, Mr. Faulkner appeared not to be at fault; however he did accompany Police to the stationhouse for further questioning.

[attachmen

t=49463:finish_man.jpg]

Pattaya City News

Saturday 12th January 2007

Jesus.

Looking at that damage that had to be some combined fast speed there.

Finnish Man killed in Third Road accident.

Police were called to the scene of a fatal road crash on Pattaya Third Road in front of Soi 21 on Saturday Afternoon which claimed the life of a Finnish Resident of Pattaya. The crash involved a Honda Phantom motorbike driven by the victim, Mr. Johannes Sulvei aged 51 from Finland and a Silver Honda City driven by Mr. John Faulkner aged 58 from England who was uninjured despite extensive damage to the front of his vehicle. According to accounts from Mr. Faulkner and eye witnesses, the motorbike was driving against the flow of traffic in the wrong lane. Mr. Faulkner was unable to avoid a collision with the bike. By all accounts, Mr. Faulkner appeared not to be at fault; however he did accompany Police to the stationhouse for further questioning.

[attachmen

t=49463:finish_man.jpg]

Pattaya City News

Saturday 12th January 2007

I wonder if as he was finnish did he have a lapse of concentration and drove out of a junction or something onto the right hand side of the road ? as in his home country, i did it in canada, i got away with it,

By all accounts, Mr. Faulkner appeared not to be at fault; however he did accompany Police to the stationhouse for further questioning.

This accident made the print edition in today's (Friday, January 25, 2008) issue of Pattaya Mail. In it, Mr. Faulkner became Mr. Falconer, and even though the article states "A Finnish tourist riding his motorcycle against traffic..." and "Falconer, along with other witnesses, said that the deceased had emerged from a soi and driven his motorcycle at a high rate of speed to cross the road," the final paragraphs stunningly says:

"Falconer was provisionally charged with reckless driving that caused an accident, damage to property, and death." (!)

Just what does "provisionally charged" mean? From the accounts from both Pattaya City News and Pattaya Mail, it seems Mr.Faulkner/Falconer was innocently driving his car down the road and and this moto-sai roars out of a soi like a bat out of hel_l and smashes into his car. I wonder why he was charged, "provisionally" or not.

My condolences to the family and friends of the victim.

Since this involves two foreigners, it's going to be hard to trash the Thais, except for the Thai police, but then they probably have earnered their reputation.