Road Accidents

[onnut]

What accidents have you seen on the roads around Thailand?

I remember one bad one coming back from Pattaya traveling to Bangkok at night when the roads were still being dug up, I had to drive over a U-Turn bridge and on the way up I was thinking "great, no traffic so I can boot it all the way home" and as I came around the bend there was one all mighty traffic jam that was not there 2 minutes before. I noticed a truck blocking the roads 3 lanes and all the cars were crawling around the truck over the verge. as I came into view I noticed the truck had ran over a motorcycle that had obviously came from over the field and tried to ride straight over the main road but was stopped dead by the truck. there was a 10 meter skid mark of human remains I kid you not. I still feel butterflys when I think about it and this was 2 years ago. The truck driver was standing clutching his head and looking at the remains and then he just bolted over the field. I drove home very slow after that.

so that was one of my stories, have any of you got some stories to tell?

Edited June 24, 2009 by onnut

[MJP]

Koh Samet a few year back. Head on collision between two mopederists. A few feet in front of me. One of the boys died.

Sad when they go so young.

[canuckamuck]

I've seen it real bad, both here and in Canada, but I don't feel good about sharing here.

[IanForbes]

The worst I saw was a family of 5 on a scooter that were all killed when the idiot father drove through a red light while talking on his cel phone. I've got an industrial first aid ticket but couldn't help any of them. Nobody were wearing helmets.

Another nasty one was a guy speeding along the curb lane next to the parked vehicles. The speeding biker hit the sharp edge of a door when the driver opened it into traffic. It took the biker's arm off at the shoulder and it was flopping on the road in front of me as I went by.

[Boater]

i have only ever witness 1 car crash in the uk and 1 person run over in the uk

but in thailand, maybe 40 -50 bike crashes, 10 or so people knocked down and about 25 car crashes........

......... and i was on the road alot more in the uk

[isanb]

Last month on my way back to the village i exploded a chicken (a big one) with my motorbike, it was ugly.

Sorry it's just that i find this topic a bit morbid

Edited June 24, 2009 by isanb

[cognos]

..did a post last week about a "death defying" motorcycle accident..that was the worst i have seen so far

[kenai]

It is a morbid topic, but maybe talking about it can help someone stay alive by being extra extra careful on the roads here.

I saw an ugly wreck in late March involving an 18 wheeler whose driver lost control and the ability to stop as he descended Khun Tan hill near Lampang. He scraped the median for several km before busting through and into oncoming traffic. Ran over a song-taew and a motorcycle before flipping over. Left burning chunks of rubber, metal and flesh strewn for hundreds of meters.

I was always bothered prior to this with how fast people drove down that hill. There definitely is a lack of understanding by drivers regarding the relationship between mass, speed and momentum as well as respect for the safety of themselves and others.

I'm often amazed that people can be calm and friendly in person can drive the way they do. Also surprised the country has buildings that can stand and planes that fly and many other technical and modern advances ...but when it comes to driving ....... .

Edited June 24, 2009 by kenai

[isanb]

I doubt if he reads your post and drive in the same time.

But all of us,i think, are aware of the dangers of driving and specialy in thailand.

But ok, let's go, up to you and don't forget any morbid details if it help you to be more careful.

I give you my opinion and i respect yours

Edited June 24, 2009 by isanb

[garyh]

If only the would take more notice of ads like this one

[sriracha john]

Of course that's preposterous, as people (mostly Thais) die every day in Thailand from the screw-ups of others - and the compensation varies between nothing and a tiny amount.

You can add one more to that total. Late this afternoon, while riding the motorbike in town and stopped at a red-light on a side street of Sukhumwit along side a motorcycle taxi. The light was almost getting ready to turn green but still red, and he took off across the intersection. The inevitable happened. A biggish Toyota sedan on Sukhumwit ran their red-light (there is about a one or two second-long lag where both directions are red to try and make for a safer intersection during light changes). A combination of his leaving early and her crossing through late ended up with him being dragged under her car right in front of my very startled eyes. An obvious fatality with his head crushed as the sedan's tire came to rest on his flattened un-helmeted skull after the undercarriage had dragged him 20 meters.

R.I.P. my fellow Srirachian...

-----------------------------------------

and yes, in this situation, both were at fault...

[Tim207]

What accidents have you seen on the roads around Thailand?

I remember one bad one coming back from Pattaya traveling to Bangkok at night when the roads were still being dug up, I had to drive over a U-Turn bridge and on the way up I was thinking "great, no traffic so I can boot it all the way home" and as I came around the bend there was one all mighty traffic jam that was not there 2 minutes before. I noticed a truck blocking the roads 3 lanes and all the cars were crawling around the truck over the verge. as I came into view I noticed the truck had ran over a motorcycle that had obviously came from over the field and tried to ride straight over the main road but was stopped dead by the truck. there was a 10 meter skid mark of human remains I kid you not. I still feel butterflys when I think about it and this was 2 years ago. The truck driver was standing clutching his head and looking at the remains and then he just bolted over the field. I drove home very slow after that.

so that was one of my stories, have any of you got some stories to tell?

The worst thing I ever saw was at a stop light in a small town east of Chantaburi. A tourist minivan was shuttling a load of people to Ko Chang and rear ended a dump truck. Half a dozen 50 ish year old 250lb men got out of the van in the middle of the intersection to take pictures wearing only speedos. Horrifying!

[kurnell]

I saw a crowd that had gathered on the footpath near Sukhumvit 26 where a bus had gone over a motorbike and the rider was alive and still trapped under the bus. People were bending over from the pavement to try to get a look under the bus. A girl ran out onto the road, and walked alonside the bus, I thought, to comfort the bike rider or give his some water. She bent over, camera phone in hand and took a picture of the crumpled guy then walked off.

[MJP]

What accidents have you seen on the roads around Thailand?

I remember one bad one coming back from Pattaya traveling to Bangkok at night when the roads were still being dug up, I had to drive over a U-Turn bridge and on the way up I was thinking "great, no traffic so I can boot it all the way home" and as I came around the bend there was one all mighty traffic jam that was not there 2 minutes before. I noticed a truck blocking the roads 3 lanes and all the cars were crawling around the truck over the verge. as I came into view I noticed the truck had ran over a motorcycle that had obviously came from over the field and tried to ride straight over the main road but was stopped dead by the truck. there was a 10 meter skid mark of human remains I kid you not. I still feel butterflys when I think about it and this was 2 years ago. The truck driver was standing clutching his head and looking at the remains and then he just bolted over the field. I drove home very slow after that.

so that was one of my stories, have any of you got some stories to tell?

The worst thing I ever saw was at a stop light in a small town east of Chantaburi. A tourist minivan was shuttling a load of people to Ko Chang and rear ended a dump truck. Half a dozen 50 ish year old 250lb men got out of the van in the middle of the intersection to take pictures wearing only speedos. Horrifying!

[Mosha]

I've never actually seen one happen, though I have seen the aftermath. I've seen plenty of accidents waiting to happen though.

[OxfordWill]

The worst I ever saw was a road flattener (not sure what they are called- the jcb type with a very large front cylinder wheel) go over a mans head and literally pop it. There was a thrad on TV at the time about that accident.

[PoorSucker]

Saw a girl loose control over her motorbike (speeding).

Crushed the head against the sidewalk (no helmet).

[MJP]

The worst I ever saw was a road flattener (not sure what they are called- the jcb type with a very large front cylinder wheel) go over a mans head and literally pop it. There was a thrad on TV at the time about that accident.

A roller compactor.

How the hel_l did a guy get his head under one of those?

[onnut]

The worst I ever saw was a road flattener (not sure what they are called- the jcb type with a very large front cylinder wheel) go over a mans head and literally pop it. There was a thrad on TV at the time about that accident.

A roller compactor.

How the hel_l did a guy get his head under one of those?

I dread to think!

[saintofsilence]

I saw a guy walk out in front of a large tour bus and get knocked down and the bus went over him he got back up and went and sat back down at the bar and had a beer.

[longstebe]

Seen a doggy get ran over in Pattaya near the market by a taxi.

The front wheel rolled over the dogs stomach at a very slow speed.

The dog had no choice but to leave a Richard the third (turd) on the pavement.

The dog walked away but how long it survived is anyones guess.

[anothertorres]

my first accident was my own. i watched as a Toyota Fortuna (SUV) stopped at the intersection, i have the right of way and just before i'm in front of the vehicle she hits the gas and t-boned me. sent my pillion about 10 feet into the air. i absorbed the entire front end of the SUV with my body and then was tossed off the bike a couple of feet. my bike was left under the front end. you are so full of adrenaline that regardless of whether i crushed all the bones in my body or not, i jumped up and ran to my friend who landed on his spine.

600 baht at BPH and a dozen Archas later, we were able to laugh. but at the same time, we had instantly experienced death and it's still very sobering to this day. and yes, we were able to drive the bike home. it was a festivus miracle.

[EvilDrSomkid]

Of course that's preposterous, as people (mostly Thais) die every day in Thailand from the screw-ups of others - and the compensation varies between nothing and a tiny amount.

You can add one more to that total. Late this afternoon, while riding the motorbike in town and stopped at a red-light on a side street of Sukhumwit along side a motorcycle taxi. The light was almost getting ready to turn green but still red, and he took off across the intersection. The inevitable happened. A biggish Toyota sedan on Sukhumwit ran their red-light (there is about a one or two second-long lag where both directions are red to try and make for a safer intersection during light changes). A combination of his leaving early and her crossing through late ended up with him being dragged under her car right in front of my very startled eyes. An obvious fatality with his head crushed as the sedan's tire came to rest on his flattened un-helmeted skull after the undercarriage had dragged him 20 meters.

R.I.P. my fellow Srirachian...

-----------------------------------------

and yes, in this situation, both were at fault...

Was that at Assumption Junction or the road coming up from Koh Loi?

[canuckamuck]

I once held a teenager while he passed into a vegetative state as his brains dripped out of the wound in the side of his head. His sister was underneath him partially and she was in and out of consciousness. This was Canada and it was -24C just after dark on a Christmas eve. We waited half an hour for an ambulance. The boys sister was at fault, she was nearly blind drunk and she crossed the Trans Canada without looking. The pickup truck that cut her car in half spun across the road scattering Christmas presents and belongings across 4 lanes. The family in the pickup had a couple of screaming wounded kids which got taken to town immediately. Just me and my brother were left to take care of the brother and sister. When the ambulance arrived they removed the driver door and pulled the girl out first. Her whole left side was smashed. I held the boys head as still as I could while they were moving his sister. I had to because the volunteer ambulance had no neck brace bigger than a child's. The boys neck felt like a bag of crushed gravel, he died shortly after.

We went home took off our bloody clothes and then joined our family in opening presents.

Not a good memory for me.

[EvilDrSomkid]

That's pretty messed up. I am sorry you had to experience that.

[Datsun240Z]

What accidents have you seen on the roads around Thailand?

I remember one bad one coming back from Pattaya traveling to Bangkok at night when the roads were still being dug up, I had to drive over a U-Turn bridge and on the way up I was thinking "great, no traffic so I can boot it all the way home" and as I came around the bend there was one all mighty traffic jam that was not there 2 minutes before. I noticed a truck blocking the roads 3 lanes and all the cars were crawling around the truck over the verge. as I came into view I noticed the truck had ran over a motorcycle that had obviously came from over the field and tried to ride straight over the main road but was stopped dead by the truck. there was a 10 meter skid mark of human remains I kid you not. I still feel butterflys when I think about it and this was 2 years ago. The truck driver was standing clutching his head and looking at the remains and then he just bolted over the field. I drove home very slow after that.

so that was one of my stories, have any of you got some stories to tell?

The worst thing I ever saw was at a stop light in a small town east of Chantaburi. A tourist minivan was shuttling a load of people to Ko Chang and rear ended a dump truck. Half a dozen 50 ish year old 250lb men got out of the van in the middle of the intersection to take pictures wearing only speedos. Horrifying!

Make that 2

[toptuan]

Last December, just meters from my house, a fully-loaded, speeding inter-provincial bus hit a tree at 2 in the morning, obliterating the front third of the bus. Took about a dozen ambulances to carry away the wounded, dying and dead. At least a dozen fatalities. Not a single mention of it in the media. Wonder how often that happens.

[sriracha john]

Of course that's preposterous, as people (mostly Thais) die every day in Thailand from the screw-ups of others - and the compensation varies between nothing and a tiny amount.

You can add one more to that total. Late this afternoon, while riding the motorbike in town and stopped at a red-light on a side street of Sukhumwit along side a motorcycle taxi. The light was almost getting ready to turn green but still red, and he took off across the intersection. The inevitable happened. A biggish Toyota sedan on Sukhumwit ran their red-light (there is about a one or two second-long lag where both directions are red to try and make for a safer intersection during light changes). A combination of his leaving early and her crossing through late ended up with him being dragged under her car right in front of my very startled eyes. An obvious fatality with his head crushed as the sedan's tire came to rest on his flattened un-helmeted skull after the undercarriage had dragged him 20 meters.

R.I.P. my fellow Srirachian...

-----------------------------------------

and yes, in this situation, both were at fault...

Was that at Assumption Junction or the road coming up from Koh Loi?

Neither actually, it was at Sukhumwit intersection with Gao Kilo Road.

There's been so many white line outlines drawn on the asphalt of that intersection that it's almost permanent.

Edited June 25, 2009 by sriracha john

[Datsun240Z]

I've seen a kiddo, been squashed by a cement truck until he was a hamburger, the had to scrape him of the road!

[Moonrakers]

Wish I didn't see this thread,

I'd rather just not answer and take my mind to the next subject.