Rogue wheel in Phuket leaves Russian in ICU

Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- A Russian biker remains unconscious in Bangkok Hospital Phuket’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after being knocked from his motorbike by a rogue wheel that flew off a 10-wheeled truck on Thepakasatrri Road yesterday.

The Russian, named by police as Alexey Balabko, 26, was a ridding a “big bike” when he was struck by one of the two wheels that came loose off the southbound 10-wheeled truck transporting asphalt to Phuket Town at about 2:25pm.

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“Mr Balabko was knocked unconscious and both of his arms and one of his legs were broken,” Thalang Police Duty Officer Chatree Chuwichian told the Phuket Gazette.

Mr Balabko was taken immediately to Vachira Phuket Hospital, but was transferred to Bangkok Hospital Phuket’s ICU at about 9am today.

“His heart is still beating, but he isn’t responding to stimuli,” Lt Chatree explained this morning.

“After striking Mr Balabko, the wheel continued at a high speed and hit the cashier counter of a roadside grocery shop set up in front of Sen Sgt Maj Mongkol Dechkoontot's house. The other wheel didn’t come to a stop until it hit a pickup truck,” Lt Chatree said.

The driver of the truck, Surachai Kladkaew, 36, was charged for reckless driving, as well as for causing an accident and damage, he added.

Police noted that truck’s wheels came off just about 200 meters from the spot where a tour bus recently lost a wheel, which rolled at high speed down the busy road and narrowly missed a traffic policeman

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Rogue-wheel-in-Phuket-leaves-Russian-in-ICU-20157.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2013-02-07

The driver of the truck, Surachai Kladkaew, 36, was charged for reckless driving, as well as for causing an accident and damage, he added.

Yes, of course it was the driver's fault. He is supposed to check that the vehicle he has been told to drive is completely roadworthy.

And the company? They get off scot-free?

Two hundred metres from the other day's incident? It's the wheel hub hub.

Sad about the Russian, sounds in a bad way.

The driver of the truck, Surachai Kladkaew, 36, was charged for reckless driving, as well as for causing an accident and damage, he added.

Yes, of course it was the driver's fault. He is supposed to check that the vehicle he has been told to drive is completely roadworthy.

And the company? They get off scot-free?

Yes, scot-free, and there will be another 300 baht a day driver, back in the unsafe truck, playing with everyone's lives on the road again tomorrow.

Also saw the wheel plus stub axle come off a 10 wheel truck a week ago- this time in Kamphaeng Phet. Maybe a generic problem when they are overloaded. The wheel spun across the road missing everything and ended in a ditch- very lucky for everyone. The driver seemed unaware it had happened but eventually got the message something was wrong from cars passing him and people pointing to his truck so he slowed down and we managed to get him to pull over and showed him the problem. He actually thanked us-surprisingly enough in English.

Overloading is the problem. ^^^

Does phuket have weigh stations? I haven't seen one.

Many years ago I was towing a travel trailer in my home country. Although I had checked all tires before the journey, apparently one of the tires had many of its threads stripped when it was mounted on the drum--an accident just waiting to happen.

Going down a busy highway, I just happened to glance in my side mirror as I saw the tire roll off across the oncoming traffic and across the field at the side of the highway. I stopped and immediately traced the path of the heavy tire: across two fields, through one garden, one open fence gate, rolled through an occupied swimming pool patio, and came to rest in the middle of an outside patio party--to the complete shock and amazement of all the guests. Not one bit of damage nor injury was noted as I sheepishly rolled my wheel nearly a half kilometer back up to the highway.

It can happend to anyone, and sometimes you just get lucky. Best of luck to the poor bloke who was injured, hoping he recovers without lasting effects. And best of luck to the arrested driver, hoping he can get to the source of his mechanical failure.

The driver of the truck, Surachai Kladkaew, 36, was charged for reckless driving, as well as for causing an accident and damage, he added.

Yes, of course it was the driver's fault. He is supposed to check that the vehicle he has been told to drive is completely roadworthy.

And the company? They get off scot-free?

How about the mechanic who bolted the wheel on?

I am sure this is much worse http://www.insanee.com/update/destruction/look-out-for-flying-cars

Overloading is the problem. ^^^

Does phuket have weigh stations? I haven't seen one.

I have seen one before I think in phuket . They deffo have one at the ferry port before you depart for koh samui

Bit these trucks are death in wheels with the grim reaper driving him self

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The driver of the truck, Surachai Kladkaew, 36, was charged for reckless driving, as well as for causing an accident and damage, he added.

Yes, of course it was the driver's fault. He is supposed to check that the vehicle he has been told to drive is completely roadworthy.

And the company? They get off scot-free?

How about the mechanic who bolted the wheel on?

Yeah, but he didn't, did he.

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these trucks are death in wheels with the grim reaper driving him self

<snip>

As are the damned tourist vans:

.

How many poster would know how to torque a large vehicle wheel nut.

How often do you check your own private conveyance.

Enough said.