Head-On Smash On Phuket’S Big Buddha Hill Leaves At Least Three Dead

[Lite Beer]

Head-on smash on Phuket’s Big Buddha hill

leaves at least three dead

Emergency response crews at the scene this morning. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

The remains of the pickup. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

PHUKET: Eyewitnesses to a head-on smash between a pickup carrying about 20 people and a safari bus carrying tourists up Big Buddha hill has left at least three people dead, including one baby.

Australian tourist Alessia Nuccitelli, 19, told the Phuket Gazette that she saw a pickup carrying about 20 Burmese people speeding downhill from the Big Buddha toward the safari bus she and her family were on at about 11 am today.

The two vehicles collided, launching the Burmese passengers out from the back of the pickup.

None of the tourists in the bus were seriously injured, but the impact left the Burmese passengers scattered among the debris on the road.

Many of the Burmese people were injured by shards of glass from the tourist bus.

“It was horrible. I saw at least three people dead . One was just a little baby,” said Miss Nuccitelli.

The Australian tourist said the pickup was carrying far too many people.

“The driver was drunk... People here could smell the alcohol on his breath,” she said.

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-04-17

[ScubaBuddha]

Assuming the driver fled as they usually do, have they captured him?

RIP to victims.

[Lite Beer]

Phuket Big Buddha smash update: 5 dead, 15 injured

Rescue workers at the scene rush one of the victims to hospital.

Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

PHUKET: Rescue workers at Phuket Ruamjai Kupai Foundation rescue have confirmed that at least five people died in the head-on collision on Phuket’s Big Buddha hill this morning.

Among the dead was a baby girl estimated at only two to three years old.

The other deceased were two men and two women.

Fifteen others have been taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital, including the driver of the pickup, who was reported to have suffered a broken arm.

The driver was the only Thai in the pickup. The rest were Burmese workers from the Thanason project in Baan Borrae in Wichit.

The group was returning from paying respects to the giant Buddha image when the accident happened.

No foreigners travelling in the safari bus were taken to hospital, rescue workers confirmed.

This latest incident follows a safari jeep running off the very steep road after its brakes failed in January last year. That accident claimed the life of a young Australian tourist man.

More Australian tourists on holiday were on the safari bus that the pickup collided with today.

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-04-17

[stevenl]

Awful news, stronger words came to mind but are not accepted.

[falkan]

Safari again..these guys drive faaaaast not just on Big Budda road

[Valentine]

Extremely sad & tragic. I think today had some special meaning for the Burmese.

[lucjoker]

Phuket Big Buddha smash update: 5 dead, 15 injured

The group was returning from paying respects to the giant Buddha image when the accident happened.

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-04-17

This proofs that you better dont go to Budda when drunk?!

[Lannatyne]

Safari again..these guys drive faaaaast not just on Big Budda road

Not a good blame analysis of the report, falkan.

Big, heavy safari tour bus coming uphill, and a pick-up truck coming downhill. Doubt it was the safari guy driving 'faaaaaast' in this.

[ozymandious]

Saw the Photos on P.W. it really breaks your heart. So sad for everybody involved.

[webfact]

UPDATE

Brake failure, overloading cause Phuket hill crash: DDPM

None of the passengers on the larger Siam Safari passenger truck

were seriously injured, the company said.

PHUKET: -- An official report issued by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation office in Phuket (DDPM-Phuket) stated that the cause of yesterday’s crash that killed six people in the Chalong hillsides was brake failure and overloading.

A total of 14 people were injured, seven severely.

The names of the dead were listed as the driver, 41-year-old Thongdaeng Piwjun, and five Burmese passengers: Mr Bee, 25; Mrs Nor, 25; Miss Yen, 25; Miss Cheet, 13; Miss Nanja, 4.

The crash raised the death toll to seven during the “Seven Days of Danger” road safety campaign that ran from April 11 through yesterday.

The DDPM-Phuket had been instructed to try and keep the number of deaths to two or fewer during the campaign. The province was on target until yesterday’s tragedy.

In a related development, Siam Safari, the tour company whose passenger truck was involved in the accident, has issued an official statement about the the crash.

“On 17th of April, 2011 at about 11.30am, a traffic accident occurred when Siam Safari guests were on their way to Siam Safari Elephant Camp at Nakkerd Mountain in Chalong, Phuket.”

“According to eye witnesses, a pick up truck with more than 10 passengers had gotten out of control and was coming down the road uncontrollably. On a corner where the road is very steep the pick up truck crashed into the side of a Siam Safari truck that was taking 15 guests up to the elephant camp. The Siam Safari truck is registered for 18 passengers.”

“Three of Siam Safari's guests, Australian nationals, suffered minor cuts from broken glass that most likely came from the windshield of the pick up truck. The injured guests were taken to Phuket's Bangkok International Hospital to be checked.”

“Guests involved in the accident have given statements where they state that the Siam Safari truck was driving up the hill slowly on the left side of the road, when the pick up truck coming down the hill, clearly out of control, crashed into the Siam Safari truck.”

“All Siam Safari guests are fully insured in case of such accidents and our insurance policies will cover all expenses.”

“We would like to offer our heartfelt condolences to the families involved in the accident.”

“Any questions or queries regarding the incident should be directed to Siam Safari Tours Nature Company Limited.”

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-04-18

[Boater]

In a few other reports, it mentioned they could smell booze on the driver ! , why have they failed to bring this up??? , a SOBER driver even with faulty brakes may of been able to avoid this

[harleyclarkey]

An official report ...... stated that the cause of yesterday’s crash that killed six people in the Chalong hillsides was brake failure and overloading.

Truck and heavy load going down a steep hill will for sure, with an inexperienced driver, overheat the brakes and cause total brake failure. This can happen quite quickly. A trained driver would have used his engine as a brake as well. Could so easily have been avoided.

God rest these poor unfortunates.

Edited April 18, 2011 by harleyclarkey

[sirchai]

In a few other reports, it mentioned they could smell booze on the driver ! , why have they failed to bring this up??? , a SOBER driver even with faulty brakes may of been able to avoid this

I'm pretty sure that too many people on a Pick Up truck ( 20 a' 50 kg would be 1,000 kg already) could have caused a brake failure.

RIP to the deceased and a speedy and FULLY recovery for the injured ones.

How will their relatives in Burma find out what happened? :jap:

[sirchai]

Extremely sad & tragic. I think today had some special meaning for the Burmese.

The Australian tourist said the pickup was carrying far too many people.

“The driver was drunk... People here could smell the alcohol on his breath,” she said.

How can the Australian tourist make such a statement? It's sad enough what happened, don't need speculations like this.:jap:

Rest In Peace

[katabeachbum]

The Australian tourist said the pickup was carrying far too many people.

"The driver was drunk... People here could smell the alcohol on his breath," she said.

How can the Australian tourist make such a statement? It's sad enough what happened, don't need speculations like this.:jap:

Rest In Peace

a 2 door pickup as this was, is registered and insured to carry 2-3 people in front seat only. so are the smart cabs with 2 small doors in addition to ordinary doors

This law is enforced in Thailand only on Expressways

Unfortunately this means all the injured or dead Burmese passengers are not covered by any Insurance.

1 ton is not overloading a pickup, but it does of course require skillfull driving. The pickup was old, and I assume brakes failed due to unskillfull driving or brakefluid older than 2 years boiling and thus brakes lost

We where up at the Big Buddha during Songkran holiday, and it was nice to see all the Burmese visitors.

Rest in Peace

[katabeachbum]

I have deleted 2 posts containing the name of an online news source who do not want to be mentioned, quoted or linked in ThaiVisa. Please read Forum rules before posting

[hhiser]

The Australian tourist said the pickup was carrying far too many people.

“The driver was drunk... People here could smell the alcohol on his breath,” she said.

How can the Australian tourist make such a statement? It's sad enough what happened, don't need speculations like this.:jap:

Rest In Peace

Disregarding the fact that she did not say that she personally smelled alcohol on the drivers breath, and that others had. What are you objections to her making the statement? A good journalist would have interviewed other tourist on the bus to determine if in fact they had smelled alcohol on his breath. Or are you trying to say that smelling alcohol on someone's breath is not proof of their intoxication. You may have a point, but personally I have never smelled alcohol on someones breath that was not extremely intoxicated. Again the journalist should have tried to verify her statement.

[JetsetBkk]

In a few other reports, it mentioned they could smell booze on the driver ! , why have they failed to bring this up??? , a SOBER driver even with faulty brakes may of been able to avoid this

Probably because the "booze" report was total B.S., since the driver was dead and has been cremated.

Don't believe all you read or all what people say! (Including this, but it is correct. )

[Valentine]

In a few other reports, it mentioned they could smell booze on the driver ! , why have they failed to bring this up??? , a SOBER driver even with faulty brakes may of been able to avoid this

Probably because the "booze" report was total B.S., since the driver was dead and has been cremated.

Don't believe all you read or all what people say! (Including this, but it is correct. )

Yes people do not breathe after they have died so all the talk about smelling alcohol on his breath is in fact a waste of breath.

[Spoonman]

Fifteen others have been taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital, including the driver of the pickup, who was reported to have suffered a broken arm.

Must have been an awesome broken arm to have killed him..........................

R.I.P to those who have passed away.

[geriatrickid]

PG states; The names of the dead were listed as the driver, 41-year-old Thongdaeng Piwjun......

I will now await the lovers of conspiracies come out with a gem along the lines that the driver was swapped with someone else and is now somewhere up north.

[JetsetBkk]

PG states; The names of the dead were listed as the driver, 41-year-old Thongdaeng Piwjun......

I will now await the lovers of conspiracies come out with a gem along the lines that the driver was swapped with someone else and is now somewhere up north.

Very good, GK! After staggering out of his cab with a broken arm and breathing alcohol over some tourists, the driver overhears someone ask "Who was driving", and points to a dead body.