14-year old Khon Kaen temple novice killed in hit-and-run incident

[webfact]

Khon Kaen Temple Novice Killed In Hit-And-Run Incident

KHON KAEN: -- 14-year old school boy ordained as temple novice has been hit and killed by a car in Kon Kaen province yesterday.

The incident took place in front of Nong Waeng Temple in the town center. Witnesses said that the novice, identified as Nattawut Murichan, was walking out of the temple for the morning walk around the community to receive food donation from locals when a white car was driving toward the temple.

Seeing the novice, the driver slowed down and parked on the right lane so the boy could cross the road.

Suddenly, witnesses told police, a black car with license plate กธ-5455 was speeding from behind the white car.

It is understood that the driver did not see the novice who was crossing the road in front of the white car and attempted to overtake it by the left lane, but ended up hitting Nattawut directly.

Full story: http://www.khaosod.co.th/en/view_newsonline.php?newsid=TVRNM01USXhNRFEyT1E9PQ==

-- KHAOSOD English 2013-06-15

[Credo]

My condolences to his friends, family and classmates.

I think the driver will be suffering some very bad Karma.

[nev]

This is so so sad, i drive in the Khonkaen traffic everyday and witness 1st hand some of the idiotic driving around the city.

R.I.P. and hope the driver has the common decency to hand himself.

[kurnell]

In Thailand is there is only hit and run accidents

[cup-O-coffee]

This angers me, moreso than making me sad.

I look, no matter what the case may be;

...even when someone stops to allow me to walk or drive by. This behavior from one Thai does not exclude the other Thais in the immediate area, or the ones who are approaching the immediate area at speed.

I look, no matter what the case may be.

I'll say it again...

I look, no matter what the case may be.

The driver who stopped is irregular behavior. The driver who pulled out and made an illegal pass is regular behavior.

Every Thai should know this.

Every Thai should look, no matter what the case may be.

If I drive in my lane without veering on the shoulder or into the other lanes, I would drag and kill more than several Thais simply on one journey from home to work every single time. I would take out about 30 or so idiots on motorbikes if I stayed my course and drove only in my lane, because the moron imbeciles who interlope into my lane do so without regard to anything that approaches common sense.

Sad? Yes. Of course. But that is one hell of a poor choice for an individual to make to get token consideration from others, when instead he could have simply looked and made it to the other side!

Point: Would the car have been apprehended by the police had the novice made it to the other side? Would the boy driving the car have been cited for reckless driving?

No; and No!

That is the point. They don't give a dime about flying knives until someone gets knifed! There is no crisis or emergency in Thailand until it happens. We've read this all before.

So, what is all the fuss about? They don't enforce proper driving, so why is everyone surprised when someone doesn't follow the rules of the jungle and another beast smacks into him?

I wonder how many cars have sped by the temple entrance since yesterday, causing other pedestrian monks and novices to stop or step back abruptly. Anything done about that?

An emphatic NO!

Another point made. Bada-Bing Bada-Boom.

There is nothing more to be said.

Edited June 15, 2013 by cup-O-coffee

[farangbanok]

Wat Nong Waeng is on a busy stretch of dual carriageway from the Highway 2 to Khon Kaen City Centre. At the busiest times it is like Bang Sen Festival of Speed.

I used to wait for monks and school children to cross where the road goes into narrow single carriageway but I stopped doing that because I saw too many Fortuners, Avensys and Altis come screaming past my stationary car and nearly kill children.

My sincerest condoles to the young monk's family.

And may he rest in peace unlike his murderer!

[sirchai]

This is so so sad, i drive in the Khonkaen traffic everyday and witness 1st hand some of the idiotic driving around the city.

R.I.P. and hope the driver has the common decency to hand himself.

Please give it a try and drive to Sisaket. You'd be surprised how bad they're driving here and you'll be happy when back home. Rest in peace young boy, you died too early!

The irony might be that the driver will make a merit at another temple and his Karma will allow him to live a long life afterwards.-

[nev]

This is so so sad, i drive in the Khonkaen traffic everyday and witness 1st hand some of the idiotic driving around the city.

R.I.P. and hope the driver has the common decency to hand himself.

Please give it a try and drive to Sisaket. You'd be surprised how bad they're driving here and you'll be happy when back home. Rest in peace young boy, you died too early!

The irony might be that the driver will make a merit at another temple and his Karma will allow him to live a long life afterwards.-

I saw the car impounded at Khonkaen police station today, it is a honda civic with very dark tinted windows the front of the car was a mess and a indentation in the windscreen where the poor unfortunate young monks head hit.

If the driver who is the alleged son of the owner made it back home with the car in that state i am sure the family has told the son to go into hiding until they find the right solution or who to pay off.

[rbrooks]

This is so so sad, i drive in the Khonkaen traffic everyday and witness 1st hand some of the idiotic driving around the city.

R.I.P. and hope the driver has the common decency to hand himself.

Please give it a try and drive to Sisaket. You'd be surprised how bad they're driving here and you'll be happy when back home. Rest in peace young boy, you died too early!

The irony might be that the driver will make a merit at another temple and his Karma will allow him to live a long life afterwards.-

I saw the car impounded at Khonkaen police station today, it is a honda civic with very dark tinted windows the front of the car was a mess and a indentation in the windscreen where the poor unfortunate young monks head hit.

If the driver who is the alleged son of the owner made it back home with the car in that state i am sure the family has told the son to go into hiding until they find the right solution or who to pay off.

That seems to be the typical Thai driver mentality, Hit, Run and Hide. What is even more incredible is when they eventually show up apologizing and willing to negotiate financially their way out of a long jail sentence. Life is cheap in Thailand and the drivers are outright manipulating cowards.

[Cuban]

The irony is that for causing the death of the boy the Thai driver is likely to spend time as a novice monk to seek redemption.

I further read that the child was dragged 100 meters under the wheels of the car and that the police visited the owner's home 1km from the Wat.

The owner's son drove the car on the night before and then disappeared after returning to the house this morning. Police are searching for the suspect.

Edited June 15, 2013 by Cuban

[daiwill60]

This is so so sad, i drive in the Khonkaen traffic everyday and witness 1st hand some of the idiotic driving around the city.

R.I.P. and hope the driver has the common decency to hand himself.

He probably will when any substances have cleared out of his system . So sorry for the young Nen, RIP

[dighambara]

This angers me, moreso than making me sad.

I look, no matter what the case may be;

...even when someone stops to allow me to walk or drive by. This behavior from one Thai does not exclude the other Thais in the immediate area, or the ones who are approaching the immediate area at speed.

I look, no matter what the case may be.

I'll say it again...

I look, no matter what the case may be.

The driver who stopped is irregular behavior. The driver who pulled out and made an illegal pass is regular behavior.

Every Thai should know this.

Every Thai should look, no matter what the case may be.

If I drive in my lane without veering on the shoulder or into the other lanes, I would drag and kill more than several Thais simply on one journey from home to work every single time. I would take out about 30 or so idiots on motorbikes if I stayed my course and drove only in my lane, because the moron imbeciles who interlope into my lane do so without regard to anything that approaches common sense.

Sad? Yes. Of course. But that is one hell of a poor choice for an individual to make to get token consideration from others, when instead he could have simply looked and made it to the other side!

Point: Would the car have been apprehended by the police had the novice made it to the other side? Would the boy driving the car have been cited for reckless driving?

No; and No!

That is the point. They don't give a dime about flying knives until someone gets knifed! There is no crisis or emergency in Thailand until it happens. We've read this all before.

So, what is all the fuss about? They don't enforce proper driving, so why is everyone surprised when someone doesn't follow the rules of the jungle and another beast smacks into him?

I wonder how many cars have sped by the temple entrance since yesterday, causing other pedestrian monks and novices to stop or step back abruptly. Anything done about that?

An emphatic NO!

Another point made. Bada-Bing Bada-Boom.

There is nothing more to be said.

This is the reason I do not drive. Very early on in our mmarriage, I insisted my wife should learn to drive a car and now she does all the driving. However, she often gets upset at other driver's misbehavior. So, naturally, I say Thais cannot drive. They have licenses but have no idea of how to operate an automobile (or motorbike). I have never met a foreigner who disagrees with that idea.

Edited June 16, 2013 by dighambara

[siampolee]

They have licenses

Sadly this is not often the case, the greater majority of the local drivers in our village do not have a driving licences nor insurance either. Iron buffalo's as motive power suppliers are fine but the graduation to more powerful means of motive power are big steps that many will not nor cannot master.

[Cuban]

Revisiting this thread with another thought.

One does need to be mindful when crossing any roadway in Thailand.

Was the child watching the traffic for sake of safety or just assumed that as one car had stopped all other cars and motorbikes were also aware of his actions and were responsive to them?

[Salapoo]

attempted to overtake it by the left lane,

Undertake.

Illegally.

Odd that they have the license plate and model but no other info given.

Edited June 16, 2013 by Salapoo

[kaspercat]

I have often been told by many Thais at work that how well Thais drive compared to foreigners.

They boast how fast they can turn left from 4 lanes of traffic without getting hit.

My phu yai at my office claims all foreigners have lead feet and Thais are much better drivers because they are nimble and can cut in and out quickly.

They are so proud.

[Salapoo]

I have often been told by many Thais at work that how well Thais drive compared to foreigners.

They boast how fast they can turn left from 4 lanes of traffic without getting hit.

My phu yai at my office claims all foreigners have lead feet and Thais are much better drivers because they are nimble and can cut in and out quickly.

They are so proud.

Sounds like nonsense. In almost a decade I've never once had a Thai say how good Thais are, or bad farangs are at driving. If anything the opposite.

[Cuban]

Odd that they have the license plate and model but no other info given.

Read post #10

You might learn something !

[tcris52]

I just ran across this while searching for something else. I remember well when it happened, living just a few km from the scene. Anybody heard of the outcome of it? Did they find the driver?