Man critical after Thalang car crash

Phuket Gazette

Phuket Kusoldharm Foundation volunteers work frantically to free the unconscious driver from the vehicle. Photo: Thawit Bilabdullar

There were no eyewitnesses to the accident, which left the Bangkok-registered vehicle wrapped around the broken power pole in Phuket. Photo: Thawit Bilabdullar

PHUKET: -- A Phuket Town man died after his pickup slammed into a power pole in Thalang district last night.

Thalang Police were informed of the accident, opposite Srisoonthorn Municipality offices on Thepkrasattri Road northbound, at 10:30pm.

Rushing to the scene with Phuket Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers, they found a badly-damaged Ford pickup off the road a few meters down an embankment.

The rescue workers had difficulty freeing the driver, the only occupant of the extended cab vehicle.

A Thai national identification card found in the cab was issued to 40-year-old Phichai Chuaythaen, listed as a resident of Damrong Road in Phuket Town.

However, the driver was unable to confirm that identity as he was unconscious throughout the rescue effort and appeared to have suffered severe head injuries.

He was rushed to Thalang Hospital for emergency treatment, then transferred to the better-equipped Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town, where he died.

There were no eyewitnesses to the accident to help explain how the vehicle ended up in such an odd position after the crash, which snapped the power pole in two.

Emergency workers from the Provincial Electricity Authority were called in to shore up the pole, which remained standing only under tension from the cables it was built to support.

Local residents reported hearing the screech of braking tyres, followed by the booming sound of the crash, which they likened to that of the earthquake sonic booms heard in Thalang last month.

The Phuket Gazette entered the Thai spelling of his name though a popular search engine and found that a man with the same name was listed on a Royal Thai Police website as once having been charged with an unspecified criminal offense and was “under observation” by police in Ranode District, Songkhla, for involvement in the drug trade in 2009.

Thalang Police duty officer Patiwat Yodkwan said he wasn’t aware of this and had no idea if it was the same individual or not.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16037.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-05-25

Am I the only confused one here.

Man critical after Thalang car crash

- Headline

the only occupant of the extended cab vehicle.

Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town, where he died.

All from the article above. Being dead is beyond "critical". Did the man die as the writer was putting this together?

Am I the only confused one here.

Man critical after Thalang car crash

- Headline

the only occupant of the extended cab vehicle.

Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town, where he died.

All from the article above. Being dead is beyond "critical". Did the man die as the writer was putting this together?

We've all stopped questioning nonsensical stories from PG long ago. Not to pick on them, as most English language media here is the same. Likely it was an evolving story and the copy editor missed it, or more likely doesn't have the language skills to understand "critical" isn't the same as "dead."

Doesnt get much more critical than dead though

critically dead

"Doctor, he's in a critical condition!". Doctor, "Then call the undertakers!".

Talk about giving up easily!