New Reports Acquits Hit And Run Driver That Killed Four Swedes In Thailand

[webfact]

New reports acquits hit and run driver that killed four Swedes
BY ANDERS HOLM NIELSEN


It was a mechanical failure that caused the car accident that killed four young Swedes from Varberg in Thailand more than a year ago.

The driver of the oncoming car has had his prison sentence suspended.

BANGKOK: -- The four Swedes aged 21-22 years were on holiday in Thailand and had taken an illegal taxi to go out and snorkel early in the morning on February 1, last year.

On the road north of Phuket, a car whose driver lost control, drove into a ditch in the middle of the road. The car then flew further up on the wrong road and landed straight on the Swedes’ car. All four and their driver were killed instantly. The driver in the oncoming car slipped from the scene but turned himself into police after two days.

At the trial in August reports showed that a wheel had come loose from the truck. The 27-year-old driver still chose to plead guilty to reckless driving. He was sentenced to four years in prison but only had to serve two because he had confessed.

This week, a spokesperson for the Swedish Embassy in Thailand announced to Thai media that the driver had his two-year sentence commuted to a suspended sentence and that he therefore has been released.

Source: expressen.se

Source: http://scandasia.com/new-reports-acquits-hit-and-run-driver-that-killed-four-swedes/

-- ScandAsia 2013-02-27

[cmjono]

is the driver not responsable for his his car is maintianed and safe to drive? is there no periodic control of the cars here, in europe the car and trucks undergo periodic controls, and will be removed from the roads if they not pass. but anyway , the driver of a car is responsable for the car is safe to drive, and if a wheel falls off, due to some loose wheel nuts or things like that, the driver must be hold responsable.

[Locationthailand]

I wonder why he pleaded guilty in the first place?

[whistleblower]

Knowing the drivers surname and who his family is connected to might go some way to explaining his release!?

[Fortunate1]

It appears the Swedes were at fault for taking an illegal taxi. Case closed.

[Radar501]

Mechanical fault or not, the driver still fled the scene of the accident. Surely that on its own deserves some prison time.

The headline reads "New reports acquits hit and run driver that killed four Swedes" by Anders Holm Nielsen. There was a fifth person killed, the person driving the Swedes, but he doesn't seem to rate such a mention, maybe because he was only Thai.

Reminds me of the Huckleberry Finn story, when there was a paddlesteamer accident, and someone asked Huck if there were any fatalities. Huck replied something like "No-one hurt, but a nigger was killed."

[cornishcarlos]

is the driver not responsable for his his car is maintianed and safe to drive? is there no periodic control of the cars here, in europe the car and trucks undergo periodic controls, and will be removed from the roads if they not pass. but anyway , the driver of a car is responsable for the car is safe to drive, and if a wheel falls off, due to some loose wheel nuts or things like that, the driver must be hold responsable.

Yes cars undergo a check every year... This check is a joke, my last one took just under 4 mins.

However, can the driver really be held responsible for every mechanical failure !!

Pretty sure you don't check all your wheel nuts every day before you drive a car, I know I don't...

He probably confessed because he knew his sentenced (whatever that may be) would be halved.

Also fled the accident scene as that is considered the thing to do, rather than face the consequences immediately.

Very sad accident.

[Langsuan Man]

Has anyone ever read of anyone being charged with leaving the scene of an accident here in Thailand ?

[NeverSure]

Where I come from having a wheel come loose wouldn't be a crime but rather a violation and all fines would be paid by the driver and reparations to victims would be monetary, paid by insurance. Hit and run would be a serious crime punishable surely by jail. Many flee to avoid being discovered as drunk. In any event they don't try to render aid. Fleeing is very serious.

What I question is the ability of the police to investigate an accident. Anecdotally it sounds as if the offending car was traveling at a very high rate of speed considering all it was able to accomplish.

[Considered Opinion]

I wonder why he pleaded guilty in the first place?

Because he was, and TiT.

[Considered Opinion]

It's very imnportant to remember that all knowledge rests with Thai folks. They are the wunderkind of the intellectual universe.

BiB are part of the pantheon, and can do no wrong. They do not shoot people, and they are not corrupt in any way, at any level.

Very important base for living in Thailand.. successfully.

Where I come from having a wheel come loose wouldn't be a crime but rather a violation and all fines would be paid by the driver and reparations to victims would be monetary, paid by insurance. Hit and run would be a serious crime punishable surely by jail. Many flee to avoid being discovered as drunk. In any event they don't try to render aid. Fleeing is very serious.

What I question is the ability of the police to investigate an accident. Anecdotally it sounds as if the offending car was traveling at a very high rate of speed considering all it was able to accomplish.

[Tywais]

Not sure why they keep calling it a 'car' as it was a large truck. Original news article. Since it was a 'mechanical' failure I would thought the company who owned the truck would be also culpable.

[alant]

Thailand wheel hub of asia? Not that much of a joke really as these poor peoples family and many more seem to have no hope of seeing not just some one be punished for what happened but others deterred from contributing to accidents. Things just go quiet, what ever happened to the driver of the bus that did the illegal u turn which resulted in the death of the young Brits some time ago?

[ezzra]

Has anyone ever read of anyone being charged with leaving the scene of an accident here in Thailand ?

No, because leaving the scene of an an accident in Thailand considered to be

a national sport activity to be enjoyed at all time and by everybody...

[smedly]

First of all I don't believe the story about the wheel being loose or what ever, this guy lost control of the vehicle he was driving - I suspect the following

Going too fast - possiblbly drunk on his way home early morning or fell asleep or a combination of all three, as already mentioned it would be interesting to know who he is connected too

Very sad four young lives lost and of course the driver

[Buchholz]

Knowing the drivers surname and who his family is connected to might go some way to explaining his release!?

.

More so perhaps, his employers, as he was just a low-level driver of the big refrigeration truck

.

PHUKET: The reckless truck driver who killed four Swedish holidaymakers in Phuket as well as their Thai driver on Wednesday morning surrendered to police in Phang Nga yesterday.

The driver, 27-year-old Muhummadyukee Jehyusoh, was held in a cell at Phang Nga Provincial Court yesterday.

Media access to the Narathiwat native was restricted by Khok Kloy District Police after he turned himself in at about 10am yesterday.

Despite the confession, Khok Kloy Duty Officer Capt Santi Prakobpran told the Phuket Gazette this morning that they still don’t know what caused Mr Muhummadyukee’s six-wheel truck to cross a median strip and crash head-on into a Toyota Altis driven by Wichit Phromluang, a 26-year-old from Udon Thani Province.

Mr Muhummadyukee, who fled the scene after the accident, surrendered himself after conferring with his employers at the Chotepatama Company.

.

[Buchholz]

The headline reads "New reports acquits hit and run driver that killed four Swedes" by Anders Holm Nielsen. There was a fifth person killed, the person driving the Swedes, but he doesn't seem to rate such a mention, maybe because he was only Thai.

Reminds me of the Huckleberry Finn story, when there was a paddlesteamer accident, and someone asked Huck if there were any fatalities. Huck replied something like "No-one hurt, but a nigger was killed."

.

RIP, Wichit Phromluang

.

[dopenhagen]

We all know Thailand... there are many (legitimate) reasons to flee the scene, there are also good sense in pleading guilty even if innocent to reach instant closure, relieve pressure and get a reduced sentence... also, this is NOT Europe and therefore there are not the same regulatory mechanisms to road safety as we have in Europe... so 1-1 comparison is not applicable... I see nothing weird here, except another tragedy due to the fact that Thailand road safety is as it is...

[dopenhagen]

Knowing the Taxi situation on Phuket, taking an unlicensed taxi has been and often is the only way to get around the island without paying 10.000 THB for 1/2 day... the lack of sanity in the Phuket infrastructural planning is the culprit behind the people being found in an unlicensed taxi, however even had it been a personal friend of the group, it still wouldn't have changed the fact that another car landed on top of it... there is no bias against unlicensed taxi's in that !

[Kilgore Trout]

It appears the Swedes were at fault for taking an illegal taxi. Case closed.

Yes, unbelievably bad reporting, not just bad but criminally biased in my opinion.

Why are the authorities letting tourists take illegal taxis? Why is there not a crackdown?

Tourists should be aware that if they (unknowingly) take an illegal taxi and someone recklessly kills them, they will be blamed for the accident for having taken an illegal taxi.

Shame on you Thailand and Thai people; sort out your journalists and stop blaming foreigners for YOUR shortcomings and negligence.

[alphaflight]

typical Thai bull@$%&...........

[chooka]

Are the thais seeking more bad publicity in the international media. I think some media agencies are going to have a field day with this.

A guy who obviously by reports was driving an unsafe motor vehicle kills 5 people and then flees the scene leaving the victims like a bit of road kill on the side of the road.

I know in Australia simply fleeing such a scene regardless if it was 1 or 5 victims the person would be doing jail time. Also the victims nationality or social standing would have no bearing on sentencing a life is a life.

If the vehicle had mechanical problems then the CEO of the company would also be facing charges. (yes I know that is Aust) just saying.

[Pimay1]

I wonder why he pleaded guilty in the first place?

Maybe it was another rubber hose confession.

[jacko45k]

I wonder why he pleaded guilty in the first place?

Probably to get the 2 year reduction I guess.

[Psych01]

Had this been the other way around, as in a Farrang did the same and 4 Thai's had died, what would have happened then? Also, why 2 days to report and confess to the incident, had he been under the influence?

[grahamhc]

is the driver not responsable for his his car is maintianed and safe to drive? is there no periodic control of the cars here, in europe the car and trucks undergo periodic controls, and will be removed from the roads if they not pass. but anyway , the driver of a car is responsable for the car is safe to drive, and if a wheel falls off, due to some loose wheel nuts or things like that, the driver must be hold responsable.

Yes cars undergo a check every year... This check is a joke, my last one took just under 4 mins.

However, can the driver really be held responsible for every mechanical failure !!

Pretty sure you don't check all your wheel nuts every day before you drive a car, I know I don't...

He probably confessed because he knew his sentenced (whatever that may be) would be halved.

Also fled the accident scene as that is considered the thing to do, rather than face the consequences immediately.

Very sad accident.

Once I was driving in the UK, and it sounded like someting was wrong, as there was a thumping noise and the car did not handle corectly.

I stopped and went round the car checking the wheel nuts, and sure enough, one had come loose.

So I used the when brace and tighten it and all was fine.

I think the real problem is that most Thai drivers have no idea and not trained to tell if something is wrong with their car when driving.

My Thai MOT (Annual test) also took 4 minutes, but did include a rolling road brake test.

But I was confident that it would pass as I always take my car for checks and any problem to the local Mitsubishi main agent, as labour charges are so cheap here, so I use them and not some jobbing mechanic on the street corner.

[oneday]

All this talk about driver's being responsible for the mechanical soundness of their cars is ridiculous. Is everyone mechanically inclined? Does everyone check the lug-nuts on their tires after they have been changed or rotated?

You pay people to maintain your vehicle (aside from those intrepid individuals who like to work on their own cars). So you maintain your car as required by law and yet something still goes wrong due to mechanic who worked on it. How do you assign responsibility? How do you prove who was at fault?

At some point it's just an accident.

On the other hand, the driver of the truck may have been traveling at an excessive speed and maybe that's why he confessed to reckless driving or maybe he confessed because the Thai system of justice says "confess" and we will cut your sentence in half. Does he want to gamble or go for it and stick to his guns? In Thailand and many countries you can't count on a fair or accurate impartial investigation.

[cup-O-coffee]

If the wheel had indeed come loose from the truck before the truck lost control then this would be a case where one must determine whose responsibility it was to ensure that the truck was roadworthy. Bad, ungreased bearings can shear an axle right off from the heat. The investigators did not mention anything of this sort; loose lug nuts, overheated bearing shearing the axle, or what?

Logic dictates that the driver is responsible if he is a freelance driver, and the company and company mechanic is responsible if the truck is owned by them and the driver is merely the driver.

But then again we do not have logic or responsibility in Thailand. Everything is kept boxed up right at the scene of the mishap and all the extenuating circumstances are ignored.

This is involuntary manslaughter on the part of the driver, but whoever is responsible for the maintenance of the truck should also do a bit of jail time (if company owned) and pay some hefty compensation to the families.

The overall issue is truck road worthiness, yet the article ignores this extenuating circumstance as well.

Thailand seems to ignore all of its extenuating circumstances which make it the head-shaking champion of the world. Thais refuse to look up and see the things in their country which contribute to that immediate scene of the mishap, and blow it all off with a face value excuse.

This, in my opinion, makes them stupid, irresponsible louts.

[deecee10]

Deja Vue

[monkeycountry]

Possibilities for drunk drivers in accidents:

1. Stay at the scene. The police will find that you are drunk, hit another car and killed 5 people. You will spend years in jail.

2. Run away and come back 2 days later. The police will find that the wheel fell off your car and it was an accident. You can go home.

You can't really blame people for choosing option 2, I definately would!