Tour Bus Door Crushes Phuket Driver

[webfact]

Tour bus door crushes Phuket driver
Tanyaluk Sakoot


Tour bus door crushes Phuket driver

PHUKET: The driver of a tour bus died this morning (March 18) when he was caught in the vehicle’s automatic door.

Aekarat Sarapon, 29, was driving one of three buses scheduled to pick up Chinese tourists from the Boat Lagoon Resort to take them to Phang Nga. He had arrived the night before, planning to sleep in the bus.

A security guard saw two of the buses leave and, wondering why the third was still sitting there with its engine running, went to take a look. He discovered Mr Aekarat jammed half in and half out of the bus, and already dead.

The tour company did not own the bus, but rented it from a transport company in Bangkok.

A representative of the tour company told police at the scene that Mr Aekarat had worked with the firm since March 11, and this was his “third or fourth trip for us”.

“[This morning] I called him two or three times [to discuss the schedule] but he did not answer. I thought maybe he was busy. Later I was informed that he was dead.”

After the discovery of Mr Aekarat’s corpse, it took rescue staff and police a while to open thejammed door and get the body out.

Mr Aekarat’s remains were taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital, where an autopsy to establish the exact cause of death will be carried out.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/tour-bus-door-crushes-phuket-driver-37919.php


-- Phuket News 2013-03-18

[webfact]

Phuket bus driver found dead, pinned by bus door
Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- Police are investigating the death of a bus driver whose body was found, still standing, pinned by the partially closed door of his own bus this morning.

Phuket native Ekkarat Sarapol, 29, from Wichit, arrived and parked his Sawat Travel Company bus alongside other tour buses at the Phuket Boat Lagoon, north of Phuket Town, at 6am.

He was last seen alive at 7am by a security guard who saw him cleaning and preparing the bus to take guests to Phang Nga.

“Because he was out of clear sight, between other buses, his body was not discovered until 9:30am,” Lt Jirawat Tancheun of Phuket City Police explained.

“We believe he pressed the button to close the door, but slipped while walking down the stairs and was trapped by the closing door,” Lt Jirawat said.

“His neck shows deep bruising caused by the force of the door. We believe that he suffocated, as his airway was blocked.

"He was stuck and could not call for help,” he said.

“However, we will continue our investigation as other factors may be involved in the death,” Lt Jirawat explained.

Mr Ekkarat started working with Sawat Travel as a tour bus driver only three days ago, the Phuket Gazette was told.

“The bus is also new to the company, which acquired it a month ago,” Lt Jirawat added.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Phuket-bus-driver-found-dead-pinned-by-bus-door-20535.html


-- Phuket Gazette 2013-03-18

[SeaVisionBurma]

First nonsense reply removed.

Getting back on topic - bizarre way to go, poor man. That must be a hell of a strong door....

[LivinginKata]

RIP the driver. I always thought that these sort of doors would have some sort of pressure sensor to prevent this sort of terrible accident.

[luudee]

RIP the driver. I always thought that these sort of doors would have some sort of pressure sensor to prevent this sort of terrible accident.

In Thailand those kind of silly things are routinely removed ... Mai Pen Rai - Mai me Pen Ha ...

[TheWalkingMan]

No sensors in case a something gets jammed in between? Isn't that standard on bus doors?

[JetsetBkk]

What a terrible way to go. RIP K. Aekarat .

[lavender19]

RIP the driver. I always thought that these sort of doors would have some sort of pressure sensor to prevent this sort of terrible accident.

They are supposed to have them.T.I.T

[Unkomoncents]

So, wait. Let's get this straight. There were two guys (as the other two buses had already left), and one of them "found" that the other one had died by getting caught in the buses door?! It reeks like a Siamese catfish up in here.

[Shot]

“Because he was out of clear sight, between other buses, his body was not discovered until 9:30am,” Lt Jirawat Tancheun of Phuket City Police explained."

"A security guard saw two of the buses leave and, wondering why the third was still sitting there with its engine running, went to take a look. He discovered Mr Aekarat jammed half in and half out of the bus, and already dead."

This is very strange.

[tragickingdom]

Hi Tech door or Thai Tech door?

[andreandre]

If you see the pic on the site that cannot be named it is obvious [still strange] but obvious..very sad that the safety feature was not working...

“Because he was out of clear sight, between other buses, his body was not discovered until 9:30am,” Lt Jirawat Tancheun of Phuket City Police explained."

"A security guard saw two of the buses leave and, wondering why the third was still sitting there with its engine running, went to take a look. He discovered Mr Aekarat jammed half in and half out of the bus, and already dead."

This is very strange.

[Tchooptip]

RIP the driver. I always thought that these sort of doors would have some sort of pressure sensor to prevent this sort of terrible accident.

My wife entered the room when I was reading this topic, I told her, terrible to die like that, for I was sure normally the doors must have some sort of pressure sensor. In Thailand no have, was the answer ????

[NamKangMan]

RIP the driver. I always thought that these sort of doors would have some sort of pressure sensor to prevent this sort of terrible accident.

I was thinking the same thing, similar to elevator doors, they detect if someone/something is in the door frame and automatically reopen.

In any case, I would not have thought the hydraulic ram on a bus door like this would be able to exert enough pressure to kill someone.

RIP

[cup-O-coffee]

Another one for Ripley's...

[Activo]

RIP the driver. I always thought that these sort of doors would have some sort of pressure sensor to prevent this sort of terrible accident.

I was thinking the same thing, similar to elevator doors, they detect if someone/something is in the door frame and automatically reopen.

In any case, I would not have thought the hydraulic ram on a bus door like this would be able to exert enough pressure to kill someone.

My guess is you've never worked on hydraulics. There would be more than enough power to kill you. The door should have a pressure relief valve, in case of obstruction. These are often adjustable. If set too high this could happen, or if sticking. It seems to me the crucial bit of info in the article was that his airway was trapped resulting in blackout & suffocation. I would think it was really just bad luck & possibly poor maintenance

[Locationthailand]

A freak accident to be sure. When your use by date is up, time to check out.

[NamKangMan]

RIP the driver. I always thought that these sort of doors would have some sort of pressure sensor to prevent this sort of terrible accident.

I was thinking the same thing, similar to elevator doors, they detect if someone/something is in the door frame and automatically reopen.

In any case, I would not have thought the hydraulic ram on a bus door like this would be able to exert enough pressure to kill someone.

My guess is you've never worked on hydraulics. There would be more than enough power to kill you. The door should have a pressure relief valve, in case of obstruction. These are often adjustable. If set too high this could happen, or if sticking. It seems to me the crucial bit of info in the article was that his airway was trapped resulting in blackout & suffocation. I would think it was really just bad luck & possibly poor maintenance

Admittedly, hydraulics was not my field of expertise.

That said, a bus door is exactly that, a bus door, not a guillotine or press. The bus door doesn't even have to be submerged. What would be the point of building a bus door with a pump and ram to exert so much pressure? There is simply no need.

I find your post a little contradictory.

You say, "there would be more than enough power to kill you" then you say you believe "his airway (trachea) was trapped" which takes very little pressure to crush. So, if the door has enough power to kill, and you believe the door crushed his trachea, why didn't it decapitate him? Or, why didn't it cut him in half, or crush his bones and vital organs? The door either has the pressure to do this, or not.

I think this guy may have suffered a medical problem, eg. heart attack, or, a "slip and fall" and landed in the door frame, thus, the door being blamed for his death, prior to an autopsy. Just my theory on it.

[eezergood]

I work with a family member, they also are asking questions