New Zealander Killed In Hit And Run Incident

[sriracha john]

Martin Lark

Kiwi killed in Thailand

Thai police are investigating the death of an Auckland teacher killed in a hit-and-run incident on a Bangkok highway.

Martin Lark had been sightseeing for the weekend when he was knocked off his motorbike about 10.30pm last Sunday.

The 38-year-old had lived in Bangkok for about eight years and was 30 minutes from home when hit.

His brother, Andy Lark, said Martin was believed to have died at the scene.

"They took him to hospital but they failed to resuscitate him. Police are investigating but they have been pretty honest that with no eyewitnesses and no cameras on the highways, it has made it really hard for them to find the driver."

Martin grew up in Ellerslie and attended Dilworth School. He completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Auckland University before teaching art and drama at Kaitaia College.

He spent time in Korea and Taiwan before taking a job as head of English at Udomsuksa Rangsit School. He also taught at Thammasat University.

"He followed the Kiwi dream of heading overseas," said Andy. "He became a very, very highly-regarded English teacher over there."

Family members travelled to Bangkok as soon as they heard about the crash.

"A couple of his friends called us. We all rushed to Thailand but it was too late."

Martin's funeral was held in Bangkok where his ashes were to be scattered on the Chao Phraya River.

"He had spent such an amount of time over there and was so embedded in the local community, we felt it was the best thing to do," said Andy.

"Hundreds of students, staff and parents from the school turned up. To see kids turning up like that to celebrate their teacher's life was very moving."

Andy said his brother was passionate about art, drama, and videography and had paintings on show at Te Papa.

"He was a fantastic artist. He was full of life. It's really sad, he has left a big hole in the universe and will be hugely missed."

Figures from the Global Road Safety Partnership reveal motorcycle and larger vehicle collisions are one of the main causes of crashes in Thailand.

In 2004, almost 45 per cent of road deaths occurred on the country's national highways and half of those involved motorcycles.

A memorial gathering will be held at the Empire Tavern in Auckland from noon today.

- The New Zealand Herald / 2009-02-22

[waza]

RIP, Martin Lark. Sounds like you will be dearly missed

[MeetJohnDoe]

Sad story indeed...at least it appears he followed his dreams and enjoyed the life he made for himself in a new land.

เหลือในสันติภาพ (Rest In Peace)

Edited February 21, 2009 by MeetJohnDoe

[Buang]

Our thoughts and prayers are with Martin's family.

[AussieFarang]

RIP Martin.

Now the usual Thai damage control until things blow over and new customers are available for the same useless loss of life next week.

Our country, our way is on display for all to see and more and more people are becoming fully informed to make their own independent informed decisions about Thailand, its risks and the way its people conduct themselves.

Edited February 22, 2009 by AussieFarang

[Maigo6]

RIP Martin.

Now the usual Thai damage control until things blow over and new customers are available for the same useless loss of life next week.

Our country, our way is on display for all to see and more and more people are becoming fully informed to make their own independent informed decisions about Thailand, its risks and the way its people conduct themselves.

what ?

[neverdie]

RIP. Tragically yet another victim of Hit and Run incident here in Thailand.

[femi fan]

RIP Martin.

Now the usual Thai damage control until things blow over and new customers are available for the same useless loss of life next week.

What you attribute to being 'Thai' is pretty much the case all over the world. In case you missed it, the chap who's just lost his life was fully into his life living in thailand. And we can see from the numbers of thai people that mourned his loss of life how much he must have enjoyed living here.

So, what it seems to boil down to is that you find it more important to knock this country than the actual news of this unlucky man's death.

I do presume you no longer live here?

[Briggsy]

What a waste. So sorry for friends and family.

There but for the grace of God go I and all the other teachers who bike across Bangkok every day. It's a miracle more are not lost.

[brahmburgers]

sounds like an all-around good guy - who will be sorely missed.

In Thailand, you have to drive very defensively - and assume any other driver might bet a nutzoid. Even with extreme caution, bad things can happen on Thai roadways.

[sriracha john]

"Martin touched us in incredible ways as a brother, artist, teacher and friend - he always had a smile on his face, living his life to the fullest and taking every opportunity to experience all it had to offer."

As we deal with the shock and pain of losing someone so dear to us so unexpectedly, we are comforted in knowing that Martin's legacy will live on for generations to come. One only needs to spend a few minutes with the children, parents and teachers who benefited from the incredible passion Martin had for teaching to see the amazing difference he made in their lives.

To ensure that even more people will be touched and enriched by Martin's incredible passion and talent, we are creating the Martin Lark Foundation. The Martin Lark Foundation, or MartinLark.org, will be dedicated to improving the lives of children in Thailand and elsewhere.

[Pakeha]

What a tragic loss.

Hāere ra Martin Lark. And sincere respect to his family.

[geriatrickid]

Thai police are investigating the death of an Auckland teacher killed in a hit-and-run incident on a Bangkok highway.

Discounting the investigation part, I was surprised to read of this crime described as an "incident" Usually the event is described by Thai news sources as an "accident". I was shocked as it meant that the Thai papers had finally begun to understand that vehicular manslaughter is not an accident. But then I saw who had reported the event;The New Zealand Herald.

Sadly, this will be another tragedy where the killer gets away because the mindset will still be that it was an "accident". The event makes for an angry read.

[THAILIBAN]

What a waste. So sorry for friends and family.

There but for the grace of God go I and all the other teachers who bike across Bangkok every day. It's a miracle more are not lost.

indeed.

that's why I don't ride a bike here. I am just too scared. late last year, I was in CM for 6 weeks, and during a 2-week-period, 3 Farang on bikes were killed. particularly after nightfall, the danger seems to be around 500% higher.

and I doubt there is any country in the world with a higher hit-and-run-rate (would be interesting to know FACTS and statistics about that)

[neverdie]

Thai police are investigating the death of an Auckland teacher killed in a hit-and-run incident on a Bangkok highway.

Discounting the investigation part, I was surprised to read of this crime described as an "incident" Usually the event is described by Thai news sources as an "accident". I was shocked as it meant that the Thai papers had finally begun to understand that vehicular manslaughter is not an accident. But then I saw who had reported the event;The New Zealand Herald.

Sadly, this will be another tragedy where the killer gets away because the mindset will still be that it was an "accident". The event makes for an angry read.

So True.

[ballpoint]

RIP Martin.

Now the usual Thai damage control until things blow over and new customers are available for the same useless loss of life next week.

Our country, our way is on display for all to see and more and more people are becoming fully informed to make their own independent informed decisions about Thailand, its risks and the way its people conduct themselves.

How do you know it wasn't a farang driving the vehicle that hit him, or indeed, the English bloke in Kanchanaburi? It has been known to happen.

Unfortunately, this type of crime is not only confined to Thailand. From Martin's home town alone:

"5:43am 17 February 2009. Auckland City Police are hunting for a man who, when being pursued while driving a stolen car, hit a pedestrian on Mayoral Drive who is now in a critical condition in Auckland Hospital. The driver, a tall Caucasian with a shaved head, abandoned the stolen vehicle a short time later on the corner of Emily Place and Customs St. He was wearing a black wind-breaker type jacket and jeans."

"2nd Feb 2009. A graphic description of the fatal hit-and-run of south Auckland businesswoman Joanne Wang was delivered on the first day of the trial of seven men at Manukau District Court today."

Anybody know what size motorcycle he was riding, and what highway it happened on?

[neverdie]

^You are right, this type of gutless behaviour occurs all around the world. I don't know how some people sleep at night

[Korat88]

Very sad report. I wish his family all the best and hope he rests in peace as others have already said. The fact that he was a teacher is good though as it means so many people will remember him and appreciate his existence for their entire lives.

[geriatrickid]

How do you know it wasn't a farang driving the vehicle that hit him, or indeed, the English bloke in Kanchanaburi? It has been known to happen. Unfortunately, this type of crime is not only confined to Thailand. From Martin's home town alone:

"5:43am 17 February 2009. Auckland City Police are hunting for a man who, (snip)

"2nd Feb 2009. (snip) on the first day of the trial of seven men at Manukau District Court today."

You are right, one doesn't know. The issue however, is that there will be no productive investigation.

The victim deserves justice, particularly since he was the type of fpositive oreigner that Thailand needs.

You answered the difference yourself;

Case 1: Police are hunting. And hunting is an appropriate term. Hit and Run is taken seriously in some countries. It has one of the highest solution rates, particularly when there are fatalities, in large part because the public will turn in such people. Do you think the locals would turn the culprit in if they knew the driver was responsible?

Case 2: The key word is trial. It is a criminal prosecution for cases where there is death and the courts don't screw around. There may be delays, but they usually get you if you are guilty. How many hit and run killers get caught in Thailand, let alone get convicted?

The public attitudes and police approach to these crimes mean that it is not taken seriously. That's the big difference.

[bobbin]

The Thais run because it is a successful strategy. In a nutshell.

There is a large percentage of the populations of all countries who would flee to avoid punishment. The control to the behaviour lies in the fact that punishment is more severe for hit-and-run drivers who are apprehended.

Police who do not have as a high priority the solving of these types of crimes are failing to protect the community.

Perhaps a CrimeStoppers programme that offered gold rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of these drivers would be the approach likely to yield the best results. The programme could be funded by the various Wats who do a pretty good job of fundraising in this country. Win-win all round.

[teletiger]

Who cares about the "here's or why's"? Just a tragedy to be mourned by all. Farang and Thai.

Regards

[coconutmonkey]

That is a terrible event. There have been numerous deaths of foreigners; both long term residents and travellers, recently.

There are many people who say the car driver must be something descriptively similar to a low-life or so, because he didn't stop, and hasn't turned himself in.

Would you?

I certainly wouldn't. You'll end up in a cage for what good; so your wife and kids don't have a stable income and suffer tremendously emotionally, financially, etc..... so the police can scratch another tick in the black book..... so you can 'learn' from your mistake, which truely may have been entirely accidental and coincidence- while you sit in a slumy prison cell rotting away and freaking you out for what?

[ballpoint]

That is a terrible event. There have been numerous deaths of foreigners; both long term residents and travellers, recently.

There are many people who say the car driver must be something descriptively similar to a low-life or so, because he didn't stop, and hasn't turned himself in.

Would you?

I certainly wouldn't. You'll end up in a cage for what good; so your wife and kids don't have a stable income and suffer tremendously emotionally, financially, etc..... so the police can scratch another tick in the black book..... so you can 'learn' from your mistake, which truely may have been entirely accidental and coincidence- while you sit in a slumy prison cell rotting away and freaking you out for what?

Since, if a drunk motorcyclist collides with a farang it is invariably held to be the farangs fault, it must be very tempting to continue driving if there are no witnesses about. I hope, however, that if such a situation occurs to me I would have the decency to stop and assist. But what if you found the rider was dead already? No witnesses, the cause of the accident dead, you will get the blame, what would you do? Does any body really know how they would react in such a scenario?

[teletiger]

Well, we all now know that you would hesitate about doing the right thing.

Regards

[ballpoint]

Well, we all now know that you would hesitate about doing the right thing.

Regards

Are you so sure what you would do? Have you ever had to make a major moral decision before? Anyone who has never been in this situation, but claims to know exactly how they would react is fooling themselves. I have never been faced with this, and hopefully never will. If I ever were though, as I said, I hope I would make the right decision.

[coconutmonkey]

Doing the right thing?? Ooops.

By who??? The wife and kids when they have no income and no possible way to stay safe and alive?

By the police who make significantly corrupt decisions daily concerning thousands, if not millions of lives?

Or by the laws which say people should be locked up in sh*t holes, because that is the fate they chose (what about an accidental hit?)

Turning yourself in would be doing the right thing??? I heavily doubt it.

Surviving would be doing the right thing.... and how to do that???

At least you could do good on the outside (and maybe drive carefully!)

I would like to think someone would stop for me too. Though, if they were going to suffer, their family was going to suffer for years during imprisonment and they were people trying to survive just like we do, then what right do I have to say that he has to turn himself in if it was an accident? That he should do the right thing? I'm sure the baby and wife didn't hurt nobody, but who's gonna suffer in this scenario? One family, or two? (We'd be reasonable to assume that the assailant would suffer some degree of suffering....)

[teletiger]

This probably isn't the right forum to debate such an issue. If my remarks offended anyone then I sincerely apologize.

Regards

Edited February 22, 2009 by teletiger

[warfie]

RIP mate, may your next life be kinder than this one

[Sisaketmike]

Martin Lark

Kiwi killed in Thailand

Thai police are investigating the death of an Auckland teacher killed in a hit-and-run incident on a Bangkok highway.

Martin Lark had been sightseeing for the weekend when he was knocked off his motorbike about 10.30pm last Sunday.

The 38-year-old had lived in Bangkok for about eight years and was 30 minutes from home when hit.

His brother, Andy Lark, said Martin was believed to have died at the scene.

"They took him to hospital but they failed to resuscitate him. Police are investigating but they have been pretty honest that with no eyewitnesses and no cameras on the highways, it has made it really hard for them to find the driver."

Martin grew up in Ellerslie and attended Dilworth School. He completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Auckland University before teaching art and drama at Kaitaia College.

He spent time in Korea and Taiwan before taking a job as head of English at Udomsuksa Rangsit School. He also taught at Thammasat University.

"He followed the Kiwi dream of heading overseas," said Andy. "He became a very, very highly-regarded English teacher over there."

Family members travelled to Bangkok as soon as they heard about the crash.

"A couple of his friends called us. We all rushed to Thailand but it was too late."

Martin's funeral was held in Bangkok where his ashes were to be scattered on the Chao Phraya River.

"He had spent such an amount of time over there and was so embedded in the local community, we felt it was the best thing to do," said Andy.

"Hundreds of students, staff and parents from the school turned up. To see kids turning up like that to celebrate their teacher's life was very moving."

Andy said his brother was passionate about art, drama, and videography and had paintings on show at Te Papa.

"He was a fantastic artist. He was full of life. It's really sad, he has left a big hole in the universe and will be hugely missed."

Figures from the Global Road Safety Partnership reveal motorcycle and larger vehicle collisions are one of the main causes of crashes in Thailand.

In 2004, almost 45 per cent of road deaths occurred on the country's national highways and half of those involved motorcycles.

A memorial gathering will be held at the Empire Tavern in Auckland from noon today.

- The New Zealand Herald / 2009-02-22

I feel very sorry for his family and friends. Even if they'd find the guy who killed him, nobody could bring him back to life. Rest in Peace.