Phuket Chinese tour bus driver flees fatal hit-and-run

[cekipa]

I guess Chinese tourists on the minivan who happened to witness the hit and run will have more stories to tell about Thai 'traditions' once back home....

 

i have a feeling they have similar traditions in china

 

there was a case in the news from china a few months ago when a 6 year old girl was hit by a car, twice! in plain view of of 30-50 people and no one did a thing about it, they all ignored her and went about their business as if nothing happened

The case you are referring to is the link lemoncake posted here. Unfortunately for the poor child, none of the drivers saw her because it happened in a poorly lit garage and people passing by thought she was a doll. It is not hit and run but hit and didn't see.

[belg]

now you know why there is nearly

0% of unemployment

with 26000 deaths alone on the roads each year

+ many, many more from cancer thanks to all the good foods & quailty water & air

[Radar501]

In addition, the driver has no idea who he has hit. If it is a local villager, he could be badly beaten by a mob.

Fleeing the scene because he feared being badly beaten by a mob is perfectly understandable.

Of course, being the responsible coach driver that he is, he would have then made every reasonable effort to hand himself into the care of police, and assist with their investigation.

No? Didn't happen? Didn't think so.

[Joe Bloggs]

The roads out there are extremely dangerous.

For example I heard about two British tourists, a couple, who hired a scooter. They were riding the scooter along the main road when they noticed a car in a side road. As they got level with the side road the car shot out and knocked them off the scooter. People in the car then got out but instead of helping the victims they beat them up and took their money, their valuables and passports! It was a deliberate accident. The man needed two thousand dollars-worth of hospital treatment and as he did not have $2000 he had to phone relatives in England and sponge off them. Presumably the scooter owner would have also demanded money for repairs to the machine. Altogether the losses were about $5000 and the holiday was ruined.

The thieves were never caught so they are still out there.

[stevenl]

The roads out there are extremely dangerous.

For example I heard about two British tourists, a couple, who hired a scooter. They were riding the scooter along the main road when they noticed a car in a side road. As they got level with the side road the car shot out and knocked them off the scooter. People in the car then got out but instead of helping the victims they beat them up and took their money, their valuables and passports! It was a deliberate accident. The man needed two thousand dollars-worth of hospital treatment and as he did not have $2000 he had to phone relatives in England and sponge off them. Presumably the scooter owner would have also demanded money for repairs to the machine. Altogether the losses were about $5000 and the holiday was ruined.

The thieves were never caught so they are still out there.

If this story is true, which could be the case but I doubt it, why didn't they have proper travel insurance? Or were they riding a bike without DL?

[animatic]

I don't think it's against the law to flee the scene of an accident, it just seems like the thing to do.

I think if it was a crime, boy red bull would have been arrested on at least that charge since

everyone knows he killed the guy. It seems like having the cojones to be a coward is a

show of strength here. His family must be proud.

I'm sure the glad the please are confident they will catch this guy, it's not like he

was an unknown bus hijacker. The longer I stay the more I digress, I need to seriously

reconsider many things.

As was explained to me by more that one Thai:

With severe injury or a gruesome death like this one, it will enrage many Thai's

that come across it, and most, not some but most drivers, will leave the scene

because, they is a high likelihood they will be beaten within an inch of their life,

by and angry mob of Thais off the leash.

99% of drivers turn themselves in later the same day or the next morning.

But if you have ever seen the insane lynch mobs baying for blood

at the later mandatory re-enactments, it is easy to see why drivers

will leave the scene and see police later. If drivers are NOT guilty of gross negligence,

but still are involved in an accident, then they get the same over the top gang beating

as someone who actually caused the accident through carelessness or stupidity.

This happens often enough that they don't want to take the chance that they

might be the lucky be this time and submitting to justice is all that will happen.

Not our system, so we can't judge it by how we feel about it.

Edited October 6, 2013 by animatic

[hawker9000]

I don't think it's against the law to flee the scene of an accident, it just seems like the thing to do.

I think if it was a crime, boy red bull would have been arrested on at least that charge since

everyone knows he killed the guy. It seems like having the cojones to be a coward is a

show of strength here. His family must be proud.

I'm sure the glad the please are confident they will catch this guy, it's not like he

was an unknown bus hijacker. The longer I stay the more I digress, I need to seriously

reconsider many things.

As was explained to me by more that one Thai:

With severe injury or a gruesome death like this one, it will enrage many Thai's

that come across it, and most, not some but most drivers, will leave the scene

because, they is a high likelihood they will be beaten within an inch of their life,

by and angry mob of Thais off the leash.

99% of drivers turn themselves in later the same day or the next morning.

But if you have ever seen the insane lynch mobs baying for blood

at the later mandatory re-enactments, it is easy to see why drivers

will leave the scene and see police later. If drivers are NOT guilty of gross negligence,

but still are involved in an accident, then they get the same over the top gang beating

as someone who actually caused the accident through carelessness or stupidity.

This happens often enough that they don't want to take the chance that they

might be the lucky be this time and submitting to justice is all that will happen.

Not our system, so we can't judge it by how we feel about it.

Okay, so the 24hrs have now passed. Anybody know if the driver turned himself in? If so, then I'm prepared to be impressed with the "thai way". If not, then I'd say let the roasting begin.

[stevenl]

Yes, I do understand he did not wait at the scene, but there is no excuse for not having turned himself in now. Anything in his system should be long gone.

[madmitch]

I don't think it's against the law to flee the scene of an accident, it just seems like the thing to do.

I think if it was a crime, boy red bull would have been arrested on at least that charge since

everyone knows he killed the guy. It seems like having the cojones to be a coward is a

show of strength here. His family must be proud.

I'm sure the glad the please are confident they will catch this guy, it's not like he

was an unknown bus hijacker. The longer I stay the more I digress, I need to seriously

reconsider many things.

As was explained to me by more that one Thai:

With severe injury or a gruesome death like this one, it will enrage many Thai's

that come across it, and most, not some but most drivers, will leave the scene

because, they is a high likelihood they will be beaten within an inch of their life,

by and angry mob of Thais off the leash.

99% of drivers turn themselves in later the same day or the next morning.

But if you have ever seen the insane lynch mobs baying for blood

at the later mandatory re-enactments, it is easy to see why drivers

will leave the scene and see police later. If drivers are NOT guilty of gross negligence,

but still are involved in an accident, then they get the same over the top gang beating

as someone who actually caused the accident through carelessness or stupidity.

This happens often enough that they don't want to take the chance that they

might be the lucky be this time and submitting to justice is all that will happen.

Not our system, so we can't judge it by how we feel about it.

Okay, so the 24hrs have now passed. Anybody know if the driver turned himself in? If so, then I'm prepared to be impressed with the "thai way". If not, then I'd say let the roasting begin.

Not news any more. We may never know. Follow ups are not that common in "minor" cases.

[LivinginKata]

Hit-and-run bus-driver turns himself in

Phuket Gazette - Wednesday, October 9, 2013 3:58:28 PM

Mr Natthanapong, the driver of the bus, told police he was afraid to stop after he struck a woman on Thepkrasattri Road. Photo: Thawit Bilabdullar

PHUKET: The driver whose bus struck a Myanmar national crossing Thepkrasattri Road, killing her instantly last Thursday, turned himself in to the police a few hours after the accident.

“Hours after the event, (story here) the bus driver, Natthanapong Jithang, 33, surrendered at Thalang Police Station,” Kittipoom Tinthalang of the Thalang Police told the Phuket Gazette today.

Mr Natthanapong told the police that he had absolutely no intention of harming the pedestrian.

“She ran in front of the bus, and I could not brake in time, or switch lanes as there was a car in the lane next to me,” he told the police.

“After the accident, I pulled the bus off the road about 400 meters from where the collision took place. I ran because I was afraid of being attacked by locals – that is why I went to the police station instead of going back to the scene of the accident,” he explained.

Police believe Mr Natthanapong's account of events.

"If he had tried to take evasive action there might have been a much worse accident. Nevertheless, Mr Natthanapong has been charged with reckless driving causing death,” Maj Kittipoom explained.

Meanwhile, the victim’s body remains at Thalang hospital, awaiting relatives to claim it for burial or cremation.

“Nobody has come to identify her,” Maj Kittipoom said.

Source : http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Hit-and-run-bus-driver-turns-himself-in-22457.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2013-10-09

[hawker9000]

And I AM suitably impressed. I have no way of knowing how often hit & run drivers do or don't turn themselves in like this, but one has to accept that in this country this is acceptable and works as intended at least some of the time. The fact that he turned himself in as required does give his story credibility. Lesson learned.

Edited October 10, 2013 by hawker9000

[stevenl]

In addition, the driver has no idea who he has hit. If it is a local villager, he could be badly beaten by a mob.

Fleeing the scene because he feared being badly beaten by a mob is perfectly understandable.

Of course, being the responsible coach driver that he is, he would have then made every reasonable effort to hand himself into the care of police, and assist with their investigation.

No? Didn't happen? Didn't think so.

You thought wrong then.

[animatic]

Hit-and-run bus-driver turns himself in

Phuket Gazette - Wednesday, October 9, 2013 3:58:28 PM

Mr Natthanapong, the driver of the bus, told police he was afraid to stop after he struck a woman on Thepkrasattri Road. Photo: Thawit Bilabdullar

PHUKET: The driver whose bus struck a Myanmar national crossing Thepkrasattri Road, killing her instantly last Thursday, turned himself in to the police a few hours after the accident.

“Hours after the event, (story here) the bus driver, Natthanapong Jithang, 33, surrendered at Thalang Police Station,” Kittipoom Tinthalang of the Thalang Police told the Phuket Gazette today.

Mr Natthanapong told the police that he had absolutely no intention of harming the pedestrian.

“She ran in front of the bus, and I could not brake in time, or switch lanes as there was a car in the lane next to me,” he told the police.

“After the accident, I pulled the bus off the road about 400 meters from where the collision took place. I ran because I was afraid of being attacked by locals – that is why I went to the police station instead of going back to the scene of the accident,” he explained.

Police believe Mr Natthanapong's account of events.

"If he had tried to take evasive action there might have been a much worse accident. Nevertheless, Mr Natthanapong has been charged with reckless driving causing death,” Maj Kittipoom explained.

Meanwhile, the victim’s body remains at Thalang hospital, awaiting relatives to claim it for burial or cremation.

“Nobody has come to identify her,” Maj Kittipoom said.

Source : http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Hit-and-run-bus-driver-turns-himself-in-22457.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2013-10-09

As I said.

This has been a long time standing pattern.

We don't see it as right, but there is a logic to it that the police also subscribe to.

And yes, RIP,

or a better incarnation next time for the poor woman killed.

Edited October 12, 2013 by animatic

[hawker9000]

If the accident was in fact unavoidable, then I have some sympathy for this driver as well as for the victim of course. Sometimes life can just throw these things at you. I'd hate to have to walk around with a memory like this for the rest of my life, wondering what I should have or might have done differently, and feeling responsible. We read about a lot of brutality, indifference, greed, and corruption among thais here on TV, but I'm thinking maybe this case shouldn't be thrown into the same mix...