Phuket tourist injured as car hits three bikes at Chalong Circle, then speeds away
Claire Connell

PHUKET: Paulina Ioannidou, 23, had a rocky start to her island holiday when her motorbike was hit by a car at Chalong Circle and the driver sped off, leaving her lying injured on the road.

Miss Ioannidou, who had only been in the country two days after arriving from Germany, was at Chalong Circle on her motorbike waiting to drive north up Chao Fa West Rd around 5.30pm on Sunday (January 19), when a car came around the circle and lost control.

It crashed into her motorbike, as well as into one being ridden by a European man, plus another with a Thai family on board. All were waiting outside the circle for the traffic to clear.

Miss Ioannidou was hit on her right side and fell onto the bonnet of the car. The car driver then reversed instantly and drove off, causing Miss Ioannidou to fall down onto the road.

She says she was fortunate the car was only going around 20kmh when it hit her bike. When she fell she grazed her leg and foot, as well as bruising her hip, ribs and shoulder when the car hit her body. Thankfully, the jacket she was wearing stopped her losing skin on her upper body.

“I fell on the [foreign] guy and the Thai family fell too. It was quite a big impact. Then the driver reversed and left the circle, and drove toward Kata.

“I picked up my scooter, and checked if the family were okay, and they were.”

Getting back on the bike, she stopped at Villa Market to have a break, and said by the time she reached her home in Chalong the adrenaline had worn off and she was feeling “burning pain” from her grazes.

Miss Ioannidou is a third year medical student in Germany, so was able to look after her grazes herself. However, if her ribs haven’t improved by tomorrow she plans on visiting the hospital.

She said she could not remember the licence plate because it was in Thai characters, and the car fled so quickly there was no time to get her cellphone out to take a photo.

She didn’t call the police because she had no other details other than the car was a white Toyota – the car windows were tinted so she couldn’t see the driver inside.

She said she was shocked the driver left the scene straight away, because that would never happen in Germany, where you can spend time in prison for fleeing a crash scene or not helping with first aid.

She was also surprised no one else who saw the crash offered to help her.

“People here see so many accidents and I guess they get used to them. I was shocked, everyone came out to look and just stared. no one helped or reacted.

“The driver had just driven into three scooters, and no one’s reacting – that’s not a normal situation.”

Miss Ioannidou, a Greek national, arrived on Sunday night to Phuket to stay for around six months to study Muay Thai and attend Thai language classes. It’s her fourth trip to the island, but this is her first accident. She was wearing a helmet at the time, and she has a German motorbike licence.

She said she doesn’t “drive like a kamikaze driver”.

Miss Ioannidou is trying to keep a positive attitude and says her injuries are more annoying than anything because she won’t be able to do any Muay Thai for another couple of weeks.

She recommended other motorbike riders always wear a helmet, which she was, as well as long sleeve clothing – her jacket protected her arms during the fall.

“I’m still angry at the driver, but I can’t change the situation.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-tourist-injured-as-car-hits-three-bikes-at-chalong-circle-then-speeds-away-44198.php

-- Phuket News 2014-01-23

Just another day on the roads. Lucky they can live to tell the tale.

Pity I wasn't there to give her some mouth to mouth resuscitation

"She was also surprised no one else who saw the crash offered to help her."

Ahhhhhh........ Paulina you should have asked your compatriot about Thailand

She gave several excuses for not reporting it to the police, (which at 530pm should be at the circle anyway) but remember that there are camera's all around the island now. The police might find motivation to catch someone that mowed down a bunch of people then fled. If they wanted to find them they could.

Hope the lady recover quickly and that she enjoy the rest of here holiday.

Now to something even more ugly which I came over from thephuketnews.com

http://www.thephuketnews.com/experts-in-phuket-discuss-ways-to-tackle-southern-road-accident-toll-44200.php

Two people die every third day on Phuket roads That explain why the public health authorities don't inform the public about traffic fatalities in Phuket. Its then actually as bad as it was 20 years ago and all we here about is CCTV cameras and speed cameras. Talk about advancing backwards.

Glad she is OK and keeps a positive attitude. Hopefully the police will check some CCTV footage and catch the guy.

Glad she is OK and keeps a positive attitude. Hopefully the police will check some CCTV footage and catch the guy.

But they won't. Why would they? And please don't reply with "Because it's their job...." This is Thailand...

Off topic post removed

She said she could not remember the licence plate because it was in Thai characters, WHAT, since when are numbers Thai letters? Duh.

It amazes me that 'hit and run' is normal (99% of the time?) in Thailand. You can't blame Thais for doing it, though. There doesn't appear to be any effort to ever get these people, and they probably wouldn't know what to if by some strange coincidence they actually did apprehend a 'runner'. I guess it would be like a dog who chases cars and actually catches one. He'd just stand there stunned, wondering what to do next.

Do they not pursue these law breakers because they don't want such respectable people to lose face? Until they get serious about stopping this crime by doing something to catch runners and throwing the book at them (seriously large fines AND jail time) nothing will happen. But nothing seems exact;ly what Thais want. A little uncivilized if you ask me.

She said she could not remember the licence plate because it was in Thai characters, WHAT, since when are numbers Thai letters? Duh.

"Duh" ? If you could read Thai, you would know there are Thai letters on a number plate, also it states the province it is registered!

I can't change the situation

Well no, not if you aren't even going to report it. There is a good chance that one of the 50 % of cameras that do work in the area would have picked this white Toyota up either before or after this incident. The others may have gotten the tag, too.

Those tinted windows are a hazard in every way I can't stand them because I cannot tell if the driver is looking my way or not, then they act impatient if I don't trust them.

“The driver had just driven into three scooters, and no one’s reacting – that’s not a normal situation.”

Welcome to LoS ( Land O Scrapes )

Those tinted windows are a hazard in every way I can't stand them because I cannot tell if the driver is looking my way or not, then they act impatient if I don't trust them.

Yes. And the tinted windows allow the drivers to avoid losing face.

Those tinted windows are a hazard in every way I can't stand them because I cannot tell if the driver is looking my way or not, then they act impatient if I don't trust them.

Yes. And the tinted windows allow the drivers to avoid losing face.

And keep the strong sun out. Love them.

Those tinted windows are a hazard in every way I can't stand them because I cannot tell if the driver is looking my way or not, then they act impatient if I don't trust them.

Yes. And the tinted windows allow the drivers to avoid losing face.

And keep the strong sun out. Love them.

At 20-30% yes. But 80-90% is completely unnecessary and dangerous.

Those tinted windows are a hazard in every way I can't stand them because I cannot tell if the driver is looking my way or not, then they act impatient if I don't trust them.

Yes. And the tinted windows allow the drivers to avoid losing face.

And keep the strong sun out. Love them.

At 20-30% yes. But 80-90% is completely unnecessary and dangerous.

You hardly ever see 80%. 40% seems to be more or less the norm.

Sent from my D90W using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Sounds very similar to when I was hit at at a traffic lights. Must have been about 40 Thais just stood there gawking. Not one helped. Not one picked up my bike. Not one got the licence plate of the pick-up which just kept on going. No cops there. I didn't report it. It was in Nakorn Pathom about 8 years ago. Still got ankle pain from that every morning and will have for the rest of my life.

The tourists wobble and annoy most drivers with their inexperience.

I'm not surprised someone lashed out.

The tourists wobble and annoy most drivers with their inexperience.

I'm not surprised someone lashed out.

The tourists may well "wobble" but this <deleted> lost control on a roundabout, hit 3 stationary bikes, reversed to dislodge one rider from his bonnet and then sped off.

Your post is idiotic, you clown.

The tourists wobble and annoy most drivers with their inexperience.

I'm not surprised someone lashed out.

The tourists may well "wobble" but this <deleted> lost control on a roundabout, hit 3 stationary bikes, reversed to dislodge one rider from his bonnet and then sped off.

Your post is idiotic, you clown.

Nothing idiotic about road rage.

Happens everywhere in the world and this is just another case.

Don't say you haven't been annoyed by inexperienced riders and slow BBQ bikes because I do but have self control unlike many locals.

How come a third year medical student is coming to Thailand "to study muay Thai and Thai language" for six months? I don't know many third year medical students from the UK that would drop out of their medical degree for a year to study Thai boxing and an insignificant developing nation language.

How come a third year medical student is coming to Thailand "to study muay Thai and Thai language" for six months? I don't know many third year medical students from the UK that would drop out of their medical degree for a year to study Thai boxing and an insignificant developing nation language.

How dare a student take time out from strenuous studies.

Scandalous.