Phuket: Pickup truck driver kills 18 year old boy, flees the scene

[webfact]

Pickup truck driver kills 18 year old boy, flees the scene
Eakkapop Thongtub


The mangled Yamaha and the pickup truck.

PHUKET: -- An 18-year-old motorcyclist was knocked from his bike and later died after hitting a pickup truck that had apparently made a sudden U-Turn in front of Cherng Talay Wittayakom School last night at 10pm.

The police, along with Kusoldharm Foundation rescue volunteers, arrived at the scene shortly after 10pm and discovered a purple Yamaha Mio motorbike stuck to the pickup.

The deceased was identified as Wasin Yotharak.

Upon questioning the locals, police heard that the driver of the pickup truck had made a sudden U-Turn in front of Mr Wasin who was travelling at high speed.

A search is now underway for the driver who fled the scene.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/pickup-truck-driver-kills-18-year-old-boy-flees-the-scene-43278.php


-- Phuket News 2013-12-07

[KarenBravo]

Seems like we get a story just like this every day now.

[laurentbkk]

I think the driver is totally stupid , the car is still there and I dont think it will take long time for the police to find the owner of the truck .... hard to face responsibilities , specially when you just murdered a young boy who had all his life in front of him ... sad ...

[Hockeybik]

I think the driver is totally stupid , the car is still there and I dont think it will take long time for the police to find the owner of the truck .... hard to face responsibilities , specially when you just murdered a young boy who had all his life in front of him ... sad ...

The driver made a bad move and deserves blame but the kid also made a stupid move, "traveling at a high rate of speed" apparently too fast to evade a potential problem. That's why they call it defensive driving. Sad story.

[2008bangkok]

I think the driver is totally stupid , the car is still there and I dont think it will take long time for the police to find the owner of the truck .... hard to face responsibilities , specially when you just murdered a young boy who had all his life in front of him ... sad ...

Probably because the driver was drunk and the norm now is to run off until the next day or so until all alcohol gone, saying that disgusting behavior full stop to run off and not help some1 who is dieing because of you..

RIP

[JetsetBkk]

I think the driver is totally stupid , the car is still there and I dont think it will take long time for the police to find the owner of the truck .... hard to face responsibilities , specially when you just murdered a young boy who had all his life in front of him ... sad ...

It wasn't "murder".

[NamKangMan]

Seems like we get a story just like this every day now.

Yes, and in the future, there will be two stories like this, every day.

[Guest]

The traffic is more and more out of control. Yesterday I was riding on Thepsarati road and had close call twice.

I don't really enjoy to ride to the Phuket town or southern part of Phuket simply due the traffic. There are many selfish people speeding on the roads.

[draftvader]

All this running away can be stopped if you simply claim that leaving the scene of the chrime to go anywhere other than hospital is an automatic murder charge.

[stevenl]

All this running away can be stopped if you simply claim that leaving the scene of the chrime to go anywhere other than hospital is an automatic murder charge.

Yes, that would do the trick, the only problem is that the driver would have to be interviewed in the hospital after he has received a beating from the mob (if he still can be interviewed that is).

[LivinginKata]

One inflammatory post and the 3 replies - all removed.

[NamKangMan]

@ andreandre

"i think we all understand it." - many don't, particularly the tourists, so they have to be informed.

"you really believe they would have been using public transport even if it were available" - yes. Locals, tourists and expats use the baht bus system in Pattaya. Why would Phuket be any different? You have been to Pattaya and seen it for yourself. haven't you?

How many lives would a similar system here save?

[LivinginKata]

@ andreandre

"i think we all understand it." - many don't, particularly the tourists, so they have to be informed.

"you really believe they would have been using public transport even if it were available" - yes. Locals, tourists and expats use the baht bus system in Pattaya. Why would Phuket be any different? You have been to Pattaya and seen it for yourself. haven't you?

How many lives would a similar system here save?

You really are way off this topic NKM. What has this accident got to do with tourists or folks who want to use public transport ? I suspect you are just trying to bait andre.

[Valentine]

What might help save lives is the police actually doing their job & pulling dangerous drivers off the road although to be honest I am unsure if there is even a law on dangerous driving which we all see on a daily basis.

Edited December 7, 2013 by LivinginKata
quote removed

[chiang mai]

If you have the misfortune to hit and kill someone whilst driving, you also are strongly advised to run away and to turn yourself in at a police station later, which is what the person in the article will almost certainly do. Failure to follow that rule will likely see you killed by an angry mob, it's not a matter of being irresponsible more a case of survival and common sence.

[GeorgeO]

All this running away can be stopped if you simply claim that leaving the scene of the chrime to go anywhere other than hospital is an automatic murder charge.

It could never be construed as murder, but as I've commented before on these incidents, leaving the scene of an accident should automatically turn the accident into a criminal offence with an appropriate severe penalty.

[andreandre]

All this running away can be stopped if you simply claim that leaving the scene of the chrime to go anywhere other than hospital is an automatic murder charge.

It could never be construed as murder, but as I've commented before on these incidents, leaving the scene of an accident should automatically turn the accident into a criminal offence with an appropriate severe penalty.

Basically yes and in western countries definately agree but refer to chaingmai's post and this is the reality,sadly.

If you dont run, you are going to end up dead.

Run, from the scene but go direct to police ASAP..all is good IMO.

[Globeman]

I think the driver is totally stupid , the car is still there and I dont think it will take long time for the police to find the owner of the truck .... hard to face responsibilities , specially when you just murdered a young boy who had all his life in front of him ... sad ...

Probably because the driver was drunk and the norm now is to run off until the next day or so until all alcohol gone, saying that disgusting behavior full stop to run off and not help some1 who is dieing because of you..

RIP

The norm now? It has always been so. Because, as other posters have said, sticking around will most likely lead to a beating - often from people who are uninvolved but see it as a golden opportunity.

Edited December 8, 2013 by Globeman

[catweazle]

Not justifying or cheering a driver who fled the scene - very stupid to do that and leaving the car behind and all (guess he was drunk and needed time to sober up for the blood test), but I can see, by the remains of the "motorbike", that this most certainly was one of those illegal race bikes with kind of bicycle wheels, stripped down body (to reduce weight), most likely no lights and just bare essentials such as aluminum plate as seat, etc. I would bet a few thousand Baht on the motorbike not having any lights at all in working condition and that the boy was doing at least 120km/h on this "bicycle with engine"...

The boy - RIP - has played with fire (as most of these useless Wai Loon guys on their pimped up Clicks do) and payed the price. Guess both parties involved are guilty to 50%, with the driver being on the run reducing the chances for him to get a fair trial.

A friend of mine had a similar accident with a Wai Loon who eventually died on his pimped up, illegal, non-licensed racer as he was doing somewhere between 100 and 130km/h without lights at night in the middle of a tourism strip. The bike broke into 3 pieces, and he boy was eventually airborne after impact and flew 25 metres before his head (no helmet of course) hit the pavement and dissolved completely, like a melon thrown from a 3rd storey balcony. My friend happened to be simply at the wrong place at the wrong time since the boy hit him, and he had to pay 750.000 Baht in blood money to the family and 50k to the "friendly" police officers in charge, whereas it was 100% clear that the boy with his illegal bike was at fault. The bike looked like something made by hand in a garage - holes drilled into the frame to reduce weight, etc. taking all stability away, flimsy brakes, a water bottle as tank, no lights, no indicators, etc...

If traffic laws in Thailand would be enforced, 5.000 Baht fines for not wearing a helmet, 2.000 Baht for non-working lights, etc. and illegal vehicles would be taken out immediately for good and destroyed, accidents like this would not happen. Parents are also to blame for allowing their youngsters to ride such bikes. But to hope this all would ever change is just wishful thinking.

To say that I despite those useless "Wai Loon" idiots on their pimped Clicks would be sugarcoating it. I f$#%ing hate them!

.... almost forgot!!! Talking about getting beaten up if you stay at the scene... Guess what - the residents in the area where the accident described above happened patted my friend (who luckily was only slightly injured) on the back and thanked him for taking the idiot boy out. He was apparenty an abusive and unpopular loudmouth, who terrorized the whole village with his noisy race bike and people said "this was bound to happen, not if, but when and today was our lucky day!" So far for the beating...

Edited December 8, 2013 by catweazle

[PaulHamon]

I think the driver is totally stupid , the car is still there and I dont think it will take long time for the police to find the owner of the truck .... hard to face responsibilities , specially when you just murdered a young boy who had all his life in front of him ... sad ...

It wasn't "murder".

true there was most likely no intent, but he did slaughter someone.

[catweazle]

I think the driver is totally stupid , the car is still there and I dont think it will take long time for the police to find the owner of the truck .... hard to face responsibilities , specially when you just murdered a young boy who had all his life in front of him ... sad ...

This is not murder - it was an accident. If you read my post above, you might get enlightened and realize that the boy most likely carried his fair share of guilt himself.

"Who had his whole life in front of him"... well, let me say this - I know the characters of those "Wai Loon" pimp racers pretty well. Most of them are jobless Yah Baa-addicted fulltime losers who can't achieve anything, except getting themselves and others in trouble and getting 12 to 15 year old girls pregnant to eventually leave them and the babies behind while moving to another "Changwat" to do exactly the same thing there. Don't get me started on teenage Thai boys who "have their whole life in front of them". Honestly, the world would be a better place with some of them not being born.

Edited December 8, 2013 by catweazle

[lucjoker]

something completely wrong whit the story.

The pick-up makes a u turn .When he comes on the other side

the motorcycle can crash on the "left" side of this pick-up .

But he smashed on the "right" side ? (foto)

So maybe the motorcycle wanted to overtake the Pick-up (on the fast lane ! a Mio? look at the foto.)

The motorcycle driver did not see the car breaking to be able to do a u-turn? (regardless the blinkers were used or not)

The motorcycle driver ,probl did see the intension of the car ,but believed that his "tattoo" and high tuned Mio would

protect him?

The pick-up driver just saw 1 white light (if the Mio's light was burning?)amids 100 other white lights in his rear-mirror.

He did nothing wrong,or how do you suggest to make a u turn?

The speeding (prepped-up)motorcycle was on the wrong lane ,too fast to adapt to traffic,he will not endanger innocent

people anymore.

[catweazle]

something completely wrong whit the story.

The pick-up makes a u turn .When he comes on the other side

the motorcycle can crash on the "left" side of this pick-up .

But he smashed on the "right" side ? (foto)

So maybe the motorcycle wanted to overtake the Pick-up (on the fast lane ! a Mio? look at the foto.)

The motorcycle driver did not see the car breaking to be able to do a u-turn? (regardless the blinkers were used or not)

The motorcycle driver ,probl did see the intension of the car ,but believed that his "tattoo" and high tuned Mio would

protect him?

The pick-up driver just saw 1 white light (if the Mio's light was burning?)amids 100 other white lights in his rear-mirror.

He did nothing wrong,or how do you suggest to make a u turn?

The speeding (prepped-up)motorcycle was on the wrong lane ,too fast to adapt to traffic,he will not endanger innocent

people anymore.

Even though I have announced my deepest discontent regarding Pimp Bike Wai Loons, I see that you might have overlooked something here. The car is standing on a white solid line. This is no good news for the pickup driver since he is not supposed to cross it. However, I am pretty sure the bike did have no lights (pickup driver dod not even see him coming) and that the biker was speeding at least at 100 to 120 km/h. So the 18 year old man (is one still a "boy" with 18? means that we did send boys to Nam...) tried to swerve around the car, crossing into the opposite lane, but did not make it. In addition, I have my doubts that the U-turn was so very "sudden". As far as I see it, the biker, overestimated his ability to master this situation, feeling "cool and invincible", believing that he easily could pass the car before it finishes the turn... emphasis on "believing"...

Edited December 8, 2013 by catweazle

[Gandtee]

I think the driver is totally stupid , the car is still there and I dont think it will take long time for the police to find the owner of the truck .... hard to face responsibilities , specially when you just murdered a young boy who had all his life in front of him ... sad ...

How can you say the boy was murdered? A similar case to the boy killed a few days ago while turning right in front of a bus. This time it was the car turning right and the motorcycle going too fast maybe. Almost an everyday occurrence.

[SOTIRIOS]

.....of course they will not be able to charge him for driving under the influence....

...and who knows what else he had to hide....anyone can come forward and claim to have been driving....remember a certain gardener...

[godden]

they realy need to get a grip on these pissed up drivers in this country of no one can do no wrong because i thai

[chiang mai]

Where does it say the driver was "pissed up"?

[Briggsy]

I notice what is left of the Mio shows modified components. This was not your standard Mio.

[Barney R]

Isn't one of " the road rules " here in Thailand that it is prohibited from doing a u turn in the front of a school, police station and hospital ? I seem to remember getting that wrong when I got my bike and car licence .

[chiang mai]

Isn't one of " the road rules " here in Thailand that it is prohibited from doing a u turn in the front of a school, police station and hospital ? I seem to remember getting that wrong when I got my bike and car licence .

In answer to your question, a survey of 500 law enforcement agents produced the answer, "possibly" and in the case where the offense involved a farang and the officer was feeling so inclined, "definitely".