Phuket Christmas woe for Brit driver

[webfact]

Phuket Christmas woe for Brit driver
Eakkapop Thongtub


Clements' abandoned SUV.

PHUKET: -- A 74-year-old British man turned himself into police last night (December 25), an hour after he crashed his SUV into a power pole and two parked motorbikes.

Witnesses said that Barry H Clements was travelling at high speed when he trashed the two motorbikes and snapped the power pole, in front of Baan Rumsai in Cherng Talay.

When police arrived, they found that Clements was not there.

Later in the evening, however, Clements arrived by motorbike taxi at the Cherng Talay Police Station and turned himself in. He also offered to pay for all damages from his accident.

Clements received a fortuitous Christmas gift from police, who said that the police station’s breathalyser was not working, so his alcohol levels could not be checked.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-christmas-woe-for-brit-driver-50313.php


-- Phuket News 2014-12-26

[gerry1011]

I wonder if this piece of news will attract the same posters as those who are posting in the "Orange Lamborghini accident" thread

I am curious, really

[hansgruber]

I'm betting it costs a bit to have the breathalyser not to work.

[andygunther]

Lucky for him they wasn't able to check his alcohol level ....

I also think that was the reason why he came later to have time to sober up some.

[HeijoshinCool]

Darn.

Just when I was about to post that it wasn't just Thai men that run from the scene, I went on to read the guy's turned himself in.

(We now return to our regularly scheduled Thai bashing.)

[terryp]

very similar accident happened Christmas eve in AO Nang, absolute news black out , but involved a drunk falang (driving a toyota looked like a pick up but hard to tell) hit a power pole KILLED a thai (run him into a parked nissan teena destroyed his barbq chicken sidecar and his son is in critical condition; happened about 50 mtr from the mosque on the main road ) looked like a war zone

[casualbiker]

Honestly. After smashing a Thai owned motorcycle would YOU hang around. I wouldn't unless I had a Thai speaker with me. Your likely to get a beating. He turned himself in to the police, he didn't injure anyone and offered to pay all damages .. what did the Lamborghini driver do?

[robblok]

Darn.

Just when I was about to post that it wasn't just Thai men that run from the scene, I went on to read the guy's turned himself in.

(We now return to our regularly scheduled Thai bashing.)

Seems Brits are just as bad as Thais.

[inzman]

I wonder how much it cost for the breathalyzer to not be working? Hmmm

[simtemple]

Why wasn't this geriatric maniac not given a blood alcohol test at a local hospital?

[Sviss Geez]

Lucky for him they wasn't able to check his alcohol level ....

I also think that was the reason why he came later to have time to sober up some.

1 hour to "sober up"?

[Sviss Geez]

Honestly. After smashing a Thai owned motorcycle would YOU hang around. I wouldn't unless I had a Thai speaker with me. Your likely to get a beating. He turned himself in to the police, he didn't injure anyone and offered to pay all damages .. what did the Lamborghini driver do?

You seem to be suggesting that you know what the Lambo driver did or didn't do. Why not share your non-speculative information?

[Sviss Geez]

Why wasn't this geriatric maniac not given a blood alcohol test at a local hospital?

Perhaps the police could see that he wasn't drunk.

Geriatric maniac?

Edited December 26, 2014 by Sviss Geez

[casualbiker]

Why wasn't this geriatric maniac not given a blood alcohol test at a local hospital?

Because it's Christmas and nearly new year and he went to the ATM

[stevenl]

Why wasn't this geriatric maniac not given a blood alcohol test at a local hospital?

Yes, he should have been given a blood alcohol test if there was any doubt whether he had drunk yes or no.

But why is somebody who has an accident a geriatric maniac?

[robblok]

People always seem to condemn the Thais for running (i know i do) this guy should get a lot more flack too. He should know better and the alcohol thing stinks too. Just because he is a Brit many wont comment.

[robblok]

Why wasn't this geriatric maniac not given a blood alcohol test at a local hospital?

Yes, he should have been given a blood alcohol test if there was any doubt whether he had drunk yes or no.

But why is somebody who has an accident a geriatric maniac?

They are not.. though running from an accident.. different story.

[Neeranam]

Honestly. After smashing a Thai owned motorcycle would YOU hang around. I wouldn't unless I had a Thai speaker with me. Your likely to get a beating. He turned himself in to the police, he didn't injure anyone and offered to pay all damages .. what did the Lamborghini driver do?

His turning himself in is hardly to be commended as they would have found out it was him anyway.

74 year old men should be examples of integrity and honesty. Driving drunk or fast is not doing that.

[Neeranam]

People always seem to condemn the Thais for running (i know i do) this guy should get a lot more flack too. He should know better and the alcohol thing stinks too. Just because he is a Brit many wont comment.

Maybe he has been here a long time. When you have been here a long time, you too will know that the best ting to do is to NOT stop at the scene od an accident for many reasons.

[casualbiker]

Honestly. After smashing a Thai owned motorcycle would YOU hang around. I wouldn't unless I had a Thai speaker with me. Your likely to get a beating. He turned himself in to the police, he didn't injure anyone and offered to pay all damages .. what did the Lamborghini driver do?

You seem to be suggesting that you know what the Lambo driver did or didn't do. Why not share your non-speculative information?

The question mark literally implies that a question is being asked!

[andygunther]

Lucky for him they wasn't able to check his alcohol level ....

I also think that was the reason why he came later to have time to sober up some.

1 hour to "sober up"?

I wrote sober up some ....

But maybe not enough, its why he maybe had to pay them for not making a test on him.

[andygunther]

Lucky for him they wasn't able to check his alcohol level ....

I also think that was the reason why he came later to have time to sober up some.

1 hour to "sober up"?

I was not able to read he show up 1 hour later....

They wrote " He did show up later in the evening "

[zyphodb]

Fair play to him, If you haven't hurt anyone running away to deal with the consequences when you are more prepared, plus avoiding a possible beating seems an excellent idea to me, Thais do it all the time for much more serious accidents, why shouldn't we????

[hansgruber]

Fair play to him, If you haven't hurt anyone running away to deal with the consequences when you are more prepared, plus avoiding a possible beating seems an excellent idea to me, Thais do it all the time for much more serious accidents, why shouldn't we????

Yes, he played the odds and came out unscathed.

I'd run away just as he did. Don't want a mob beating and then be forced to pay.

[stevenl]

Lucky for him they wasn't able to check his alcohol level ....

I also think that was the reason why he came later to have time to sober up some.

1 hour to "sober up"?

I was not able to read he show up 1 hour later....

They wrote " He did show up later in the evening "

Maybe read the first line again then :"A 74-year-old British man turned himself into police last night (December 25), an hour after he crashed his SUV into a power pole and two parked motorbikes."

[stoli]

In the U.S. he would not be charged with drunk driving, even if they were to have a working breathalyzer, but for leaving the scene of an accident. They cannot charge him with drunk driving, in the states, because he had left the scene. His lawyer would just say" He was emotionally upset after the accident, went home and had some drinks to calm down, and then turned himself in." The alcohol only appeared in his blood after the accident, and there is no way to prove otherwise. (Unless they can find witnesses at the bar that he had been at for 3 hours before the accident.) I do not have a clue as to how Thailand laws would handle this situation.

[Baerboxer]

Darn.

Just when I was about to post that it wasn't just Thai men that run from the scene, I went on to read the guy's turned himself in.

(We now return to our regularly scheduled Thai bashing.)

Seems Brits are just as bad as Thais.

And so are some French, German, Dutch, Aussies, Americans, Russians and Chinese.

Nationality does not affect the ability to be a pissed up prick. Having money does affect the ability to get away with it. 74, lucky to still be driving and ought to have more sense. Celebrating the festive season - so "lucky" the breathalyser wasn't working Guess they don't do blood tests in Phukett.

[MaxYakov]

People always seem to condemn the Thais for running (i know i do) this guy should get a lot more flack too. He should know better and the alcohol thing stinks too. Just because he is a Brit many wont comment.

I'm not Brit, so I'll guess that he staggered away rather than ran. They should have jailed him until after New Year for leaving the scene of an accident. It might save his life and that of others.

Edited December 26, 2014 by MaxYakov

[SanSaiExPat]

I'm betting it costs a bit to have the breathalyser not to work.

Yes, but probably not much more than 2000 baht. I'd say that's a fair price. No death's involved here. Just property damage.

[Time Traveller]

Why wasn't this geriatric maniac not given a blood alcohol test at a local hospital?

maybe they don't have hospitals in phuket.