One Dead, Two Critical Injured Following Phuket Horror Smash

[webfact]

One dead, two critical injured following Phuket horror smash

The scene at Tesco-Lotus junction, one of the deadliest intersections on the island.

Although waring a helmet, the young victim was killed instantly by the force of the 22-wheel rig.

PHUKET: -- A young student is dead and two other people seriously injured after a 22-wheel tractor-trailer rig slammed into two motorcycles at the Tesco-Lotus junction at around noon today.

Witnesses told the Gazette that the truck, traveling on the bypass road southbound, ran a red light as westbound traffic pulled out of Yaowarat Road in the direction of Kathu.

One of the victims, a female student wearing a secondary school uniform and crash helmet, was killed instantly. Her leg was completely severed at the knee.

There was no sign of the driver at the scene when the Gazette arrived, but his rig was parked near the intersection.

Two other people, critically injured in the smash, have been admitted for treatment at Vachira Phuket Hospital.

Police are now investigating the crash.

Although the four-way Tesco-Lotus intersection is clearly marked and has countdown traffic lights, it has been the scene of numerous traffic fatalities in recent years.

-- Phuket Gazette 2010-09-29

[Boater]

RIP

i do hope they catch the driver

[ScubaBuddha]

So sad. Unfortunately all too common here. It does seem to be true what the Thai's say: The higher the driver sits, the more self-important and aggressive the driver.

[chiang mai]

So sad. Unfortunately all too common here. It does seem to be true what the Thai's say: The higher the driver sits, the more self-important and aggressive the driver.

How true.

[BuPattaya]

Truck Drivers and Bus Drivers operate their vehicles like absolute idiots. They constantly cut off vehicles and motorbikes. They figure they are bigger, so they are first, regardless of the circumstances.

It is amazing though, when they hit or Kill someone. They are always quick to run and hide. It is just a matter of time before they catch him. I hope they throw away the key when they do, but we know that won't happen. If he has some cash. He will get a slap on the wrist, maybe?

My condolences to the Dead and injured people and their families.

[JetsetBkk]

That stretch of road from the airport to Central is a down-hill slope and the truck driver probably didn't want to lose his inertia by braking hard.

He would have known he wouldn't get there before the lights went red so he should have flashed his lights and sounded his horn - anything to stop people pulling out without looking.

RIP to the poor girl and condolences to everyone affected.

[travelmann]

Nobody cares , nothing will change dont even know why they bother reporting it, except of course an opportuniy to rubber neck the remains of someone, bring a camera have a picnic make a day of it "sick"

[Boater]

There was no sign of the driver at the scene when the Gazette arrived, but his rig was parked near the intersection

so did he do a runner ? or already arrested ?

with all this cases of the driver ' escaping ' before the police arrive, and 9/10 times its a company truck, i think the Company should be held responsible ! , bit like coporate manslughter

[laurentbkk]

WOW , does anyone look surprise about this accident ??????????? Not me ..those truck drivers , mini van drivers , bus drivers are totally nuts behind their wheels , how many accident have been reported already here involving truck or buses ? Does anything changed in Thailand ? of course not ..... and those are such coward that they flee the accident scene to avoid too many question , that is outrageous but unfortunately happen every day..even more in Bangkok , how many of us have seen drivers who cross at red lights ? I see about 2 or 3 per days sometime more.

Let me remind you 15,000 people died in traffic accident every year and more than one million injured. Amazing Thailand indeed

[KarenBravo]

Inevitable when:-

1) Many people start to cross before red turns to green (they are watching the light for the traffic that has a green).

2) Many people will still keep going even after green has turned to red (the "always time for one more" mentality).

Edited September 29, 2010 by KarenBravo

[Asianrider]

Sounds a horrific accident, condolences to all the families involved. Maybe a chance for Tesco to step in and take the high ground here. If this is a notorious accident junction improve the road layout to save lifes - it looks like its outside their store.

[ukinbkk]

The locals in Phuket drive like maniacs, I live here and I can honestly say I have never seen such bad, aggressive driving anywhere in the world compared to this place. This said I feel deeply for the poor girl and her family who are left to pick up their lives with such an empty void.. This person who was driving this killing machine which is what a 10 ton 20 wheel lump of steel is needs to be hunted down fast.

Why do the thai police let these stupid fools drive like crazy on this island? Why don't they enforce the law (if there is any law left).. I see everyday stupidity of people on motorbikes as well as cars, they don't have any consideration for other road users period..

[anon467367354]

the underlying problem here is Thailand is the land of no consequence. The police seem to do absolutely nothing other than ticket motorcycles and small trucks. I have noticed that ticketing in the BRT lanes is easy work and popular. But no police seem to do anything about the most dangerous of all which is the bus drivers. These drivers think these buses are something to speed around in and get in as many "laps" as possible. There is nothing polite about the bus system here. This idea that Thai people cannot be inconvenienced by their actions is weak and easier to "gengjai" than to create a safer more polite environment. RIP

[prakhonchai nick]

Very sad

Condolences to the families.

When a driver "runs" after an accident caused by him/her sentence should be double that which would normally be applied. That would make them think a bit!

[sevenhills]

The locals in Phuket drive like maniacs, I live here and I can honestly say I have never seen such bad, aggressive driving anywhere in the world compared to this place. This said I feel deeply for the poor girl and her family who are left to pick up their lives with such an empty void.. This person who was driving this killing machine which is what a 10 ton 20 wheel lump of steel is needs to be hunted down fast.

Why do the thai police let these stupid fools drive like crazy on this island? Why don't they enforce the law (if there is any law left).. I see everyday stupidity of people on motorbikes as well as cars, they don't have any consideration for other road users period..

Common sense, consideration and respect for others have not yet developed in the Thai gene pool. Sad fact.

[horsewell]

It's tragic that the young woman was killed and the others seriously hurt but as a cycle driver one can't assume that other traffic will see or care about the bike. There are still questions like: where is the driver, did the people on the bike look before coming out of the car park? If the truck run a red light then it's good that more people where not involved at the actual intersection itself. I have noticed two things: almost getting hit by people (all races and countries) not looking when coming out of intersections (or even on straight roads) and the pertinacity to race through on amber and red and be the first when it is about to turn green. I have found that traffic is largely forgiving to people who aren't really taking notice of their surroundings but there are times when it can not, like a fast moving truck.

[anon467367354]

Very sadCondolences to the families.When a driver "runs" after an accident caused by him/her sentence should be double that which would normally be applied. That would make them think a bit!

I couldn't agree more, although maybe it should be a mandatory 15 years or so. If someone gets 18 months for beating a 2yr old to death, I can't imagine an "accident" even if caused by stupidity would warrant much of a sentence. How about a crackdown on the judicial system in the name of protecting and enhancing the quality of life for the subjects of the kingdom?

[somchai69]

I wonder if the driver was speeding, in either sense of the word.

[wprime]

Witnesses told the Gazette that the truck, traveling on the bypass road southbound, ran a red light as westbound traffic pulled out of Yaowarat Road in the direction of Kathu.

I find this questionable.

a.) Motorcycles normally pull out of the intersection a few seconds before it turns green.

b.) Only two motorcycles were hit, they were obviously not paying attention to where they were driving as other motorists avoided it.

What I believe happened is that the truck was heading to the intersection avoiding breaking down the slope in order to reach a green light. The two motorcycles ignored the oncoming vehicle and entered the intersection. The truck may have just gone through a red-light, but only just, to have hit any traffic in the intersection, the traffic would have also had to speed off into the intersection while the light was still red.

If you've ever driven in thailand you'll find it an all too common occurrence to see children cutting you off in a dangerous way (for them). I'm not saying that's the case here, but I wouldn't be so quick to judge the truck driver.

[rangers]

Nobody cares , nothing will change dont even know why they bother reporting it, except of course an opportuniy to rubber neck the remains of someone, bring a camera have a picnic make a day of it "sick"

Your first two words says it all!!

[sevenhills]

Witnesses told the Gazette that the truck, traveling on the bypass road southbound, ran a red light as westbound traffic pulled out of Yaowarat Road in the direction of Kathu.

I find this questionable.

a.) Motorcycles normally pull out of the intersection a few seconds before it turns green.

b.) Only two motorcycles were hit, they were obviously not paying attention to where they were driving as other motorists avoided it.

What I believe happened is that the truck was heading to the intersection avoiding breaking down the slope in order to reach a green light. The two motorcycles ignored the oncoming vehicle and entered the intersection. The truck may have just gone through a red-light, but only just, to have hit any traffic in the intersection, the traffic would have also had to speed off into the intersection while the light was still red.

If you've ever driven in thailand you'll find it an all too common occurrence to see children cutting you off in a dangerous way (for them). I'm not saying that's the case here, but I wouldn't be so quick to judge the truck driver.

Highly possible.

[oyanio]

Come to Malaysia and you can see even worst case. Cars pile up when truck driver rammed from behind....

[Deeral]

this is intended not as a personal reply - it is an observation on the posts...

Slagging off the driver by people who weren't there will so not bring anyone back to life.....why do you do it?

Edited September 29, 2010 by LivinginKata
Flaming removed

[hardy1943]

So sad. Unfortunately all too common here. It does seem to be true what the Thai's say: The higher the driver sits, the more self-important and aggressive the driver.

How true.

Now I know why they all drive those trucks and the seat is so high or is it because they are pint size and can not look over the steering wheel.

[siamtexan]

they run away for several reasons, line up the cash and power friends needed to clear the matter with police, and to allow time for the drugs or alcohol to clear from their system circumvention of any test.

[Pria]

Sounds a horrific accident, condolences to all the families involved. Maybe a chance for Tesco to step in and take the high ground here. If this is a notorious accident junction improve the road layout to save lifes - it looks like its outside their store.

Horrible accident ? Yes. Tesco's responsibility? None at all.

I just fell over on the broken pathway outside your house. Please send the repair crews to resurface the sidewalk.

Always no shortage of geniuses ready to spend someone elses money and then the first to complain when that results in higher prices.

It's a big, wide, open intersection with a clear view approach.

Red-light cameras and aggressive policing appear to me to be the first step.

[ScubaBuddha]

Come to Malaysia and you can see even worst case. Cars pile up when truck driver rammed from behind....

I found the roads in Malaysia to be a breath of fresh air. Very calm and sensible. If someone was driving like an idiot, their car almost always had Thai plate on it.

[cup-O-coffee]

So let me get this straight; this is a well-known death trap, and yet it still goes on? Doesn't that say it all? A small island and we act surprised when the next number gets called at the high stakes table?

Judging by the photo, the area looks pretty good for a fair "line of sight distance". Also, it seems to be a 4 lane road going one way. How in hades does one get hit by an 18 wheeler with this much visibility, and the noise that a truck would make if it were doing a cannonball run through a red light? I wonder if the girl was not looking both ways, or was talking on the phone, or had an MP3 in her ear and did not hear any honking, or, or, or...

Making the victim out to be perfect, and the perpetrator out to be completely at fault, is humerous when one replays the video files in their heads of being witness to Thai driving antics in the past; at intersections, merging, waiting to enter traffic and immediately cross 4 lanes to get to a U-turn, and so on.

Hmmm. Secondary school. Isn't that ages 16 to 19? Was this girl of legal age to operate a bike? Was she licensed? Did she have the proper instruction course on how to operate a vehicle in traffic?

One can go on, but the fact remains that no amount of sympathy can erase the fact that traffic here is all "me" and the rules of the road are "whatever", and any gaps in that view can be filled in with over-stupidity.

I feel sympathy, but to be honest, I do not feel as much sympathy compared to the embarrassment for the way these people behave apathetic when operating motor vehicles on roads or sidewalks. Additionally. it is always the bikes that rule the road and the larger vehicles are always doing their best to avoid colliding with them.

Anyone who has been here for awhile knows that when the light turns red there is always a straggler who whizzes through. Everyone I know looks both ways, even when they are entering the dead zone.

The saying goes that "Accidents don't happen. It's just that you are not paying attention to what you are doing (or causing), and you get what's coming." 4 wide-open, flat lanes, 180 degree visibility, plenty of time to get where you are going, and yet one gets smacked by one of the largest vehicles on the road.

What are the odds of that happening every day, or even in 1 year? Never trust a green light!

Edited September 29, 2010 by cup-O-coffee

[onnut]

this is intended not as a personal reply - it is an observation on the posts...

Slagging off the driver by people who weren't there will so not bring anyone back to life.....why do you do it?

its a forum and its here for us to express our thoughts in anyway we see fit.

and my thoughts are this,

the driver ran a red light

the kids pulled out on a green light and did not look.

if both had concentrated or were not in such a rush, they would be alive now.

the driver is at fault though because he drove through a red light.

so hang him high!

[steelepulse]

>>Slagging off the driver

Theoretically a driver in charge of a big heavy vehicle like this knows to take more caution and leave more room for braking, unexpected events etc. Unfortunately this driver did not nor do 99% of others that drive this size of equipment in TH.

RIP to the deceased and her family and may they track the driver down via his company and let him face justice.

Edited September 29, 2010 by steelepulse