British tourist kills police in crash

[Thaivisa News]

Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan:- A speeding Benz sports car driven by a British tourist crashed into a motorcycle at U-turn in Hua Hin town, killing a border patrol policeman early Wednesday.

[Photo credit: Khaosod Online]

Pol Lt Nonthawat Thongkham, an officer on duty of Hua Hin police station, said the accident happened on the outbound Phetkasem Road at the U-turn spot in front of the Hua Hin Hospital at 2:40 am.

After alerted of the accident, Nonthawat and rescuers of the Sawang Hua Hin Thammasathan Foundation rushed to the scene.

They found a two-door retractable-roof Benz car with Bangkok license plate at the scene. Its front was badly damaged and its airbags had been deployed. Its windshield was broken and its engine oil leaked but it did not catch fire.

The car crashed into a Yamaha YZF-R3 300-CC blue motorcycle without a license plate. The impact hurled the motorcycle about 200 meters away from car. Several parts of the motorcycle were broken and scattered at the spot.

The body of Police Lance Corporal Wiroon Srinarong, 24, a border patrol policeman of Naresuan base in Cha-am district, Phetchaburi, was found at the scene.

Nonthawat said the Benz was driven by John Benjamin, 44, a British tourist who suffered chest injury. He was rushed to the Hua Hin Hospital and received an x-ray and doctors put in under close watch for possible internal injury.

Nonthwat interrogated Benjamin and learned that he was speeding his car from his residence in Cha-am to Hua Hin and the policeman made a u-turn at the spot suddenly, cutting into his way and making it impossible for him to stop his car in time.

[Mango Bob]

Yes, even tourist can act like jerks on the roads here in Thailand. Another poor cop is strike down by a hi-so car. Bring back memories anyone?

[Nick167]

I hope tha they lock this guy up and just throw the keys away.

[zaphod reborn]

Crazy Brit. You don't visit a foreign country, rent a car, and drive with reckless abandon. You don't know the roads and you are a guest.

I hope they lock up Mr. Benjamin in a Thai prison cell for a few years and not just let him go back to the island after paying off the officer's family.

My condolences to Police Lance Corporal Wiroon's family and friends. Terrible that this happens at the end of the Songkran holiday.

[jerojero]

RIP. Speeding car, wild tourist, quick U turn.... Alcohol? Recipe for disaster, and it happened.

[tingtongfarang]

Dont think he will get away with handing over a wad of cash to the family and doing a runner to singapore somehow

[Changoverandout]

How many times have all of us who drive here had idiots at U turns pull directly into the fast lane without looking?

It's a daily occurrence and luckily I've always managed to avoid them unlike the unfortunate guy here. At U turns it is usually the person who is turning's fault.

[Andrew65]

Crazy Brit. You don't visit a foreign country, rent a car, and drive with reckless abandon. You don't know the roads and you are a guest.

I hope they lock up Mr. Benjamin in a Thai prison cell for a few years and not just let him go back to the island after paying off the officer's family.

My condolences to Police Lance Corporal Wiroon's family and friends. Terrible that this happens at the end of the Songkran holiday.

Who said the car was rented?

What makes him a tourist? Maybe just his visa?

The police officer's motorbike had no license plate at all

Yet, you condemn the guy to a prison sentence. What if it's found out that the car driver had not a trace of alcohol or other substance and that it was an accident at 2:40am.

Then again, i'm sure you'll find some other answers.

We can draw a lot of assumptions from the time etc, but I see no mention of booze/brethalyzers in the report.

There will be plenty of TV Clouseaus waiting to solve this one!

[richard_smith237]

This will be interesting to follow... The type of car the Brit was driving is irrelevant - the result would have been the same in a Toyota or Honda.

02:40am - Was there any trace of alcohol on the driver ? On the deceased Policeman ? - this would be key to determining a deadly mistake or manslaughter.

Was the driver within the speed limit ? the Opening Post notes that he was 'speeding his car' did the driver (Benjamin) admit to this or is this a poorly written article ?

Already some members are throwing emotion around without enough fact from which to base their conclusions...

Of course, we can all garner our opinions and assumptions... i.e. mine would be that at that time, both parties have had a few drinks, both are illegally on the road, the Bike pulled out infront of the Car to make a U-Turn without looking. The Car couldn't avoid the bike... BUT... thats just an assumption...

Key facts need to be established - Drinking ? (both Rider and Driver); Speeding ? (Driver); Pulled out without looking (Rider).

[Costas2008]

I hope tha they lock this guy up and just throw the keys away.

I love listening to you, saint and super driver, that never disobey the rules in Thailand.

Try to read the article properly, the guy was cut off by the motorbike when the policeman made a u-turn at the spot suddenly, cutting into his way and making it impossible for him to stop his car in time.

Ask yourself, what would you have done in a situation like this?

So stop, trying to be clever and think before you post nonsense.

[Ace of Pop]

Not a Benz, dear me ,more power to the Lefty Brits again...If it was Nop in a Shagged Truck its hardly worth a mention. Unplated Bike ridden by Drunk Cop most likely.

[luudee]

Hmm, sounds like one of those, I'm making a U-turn now, and don't give a damn about on coming traffic situations ....

If I had a baht for each time I had to break like crazy because one of these idiots cut me off, I'd be a very rich man ...

luudee

[lust]

I don't know if it's the same person, but 2 weeks ago, there was a white guy hauling ass in his benz convertible coming into Hua Hin. Looks like the same car. I'm no saint when I drive either though so it's hard to judge.

[MaeJoMTB]

As far as I can see from the report the British driver was not at fault.

No evidence he was speeding or drunk.

Thai making a u-turn on an unregistered, uninsured, untaxed m/c.

Thai happens to be an off duty policeman ...... so what.

Was the Thai drunk? No evidence presented, but he was breaking the law.

[petedk]

A couple of years ago, I was inches away from hitting two cops on a motorcylcle.

They were driving in front of me on Rama 4 on the inside lane. Suddenly, without warning they decided to cross in front of me and do a u-turn. I braked and swerved as hard as i could and as I mentioned missed them by inches.

They just laughed and drove off.

I really hate to think what would have happened if I had hit them.

Please don't judge this guy (I know he was speeding) or the cops until we know the full facts.

[Commerce]

That's a lot of damage from hitting a motorcyle.

In fact, I'd go to say impossible!

[FritsSikkink]

This will be interesting to follow... The type of car the Brit was driving is irrelevant - the result would have been the same in a Toyota or Honda.

02:40am - Was there any trace of alcohol on the driver ? On the deceased Policeman ? - this would be key to determining a deadly mistake or manslaughter.

Was the driver within the speed limit ? the Opening Post notes that he was 'speeding his car' did the driver (Benjamin) admit to this or is this a poorly written article ?

Already some members are throwing emotion around without enough fact from which to base their conclusions...

Of course, we can all garner our opinions and assumptions... i.e. mine would be that at that time, both parties have had a few drinks, both are illegally on the road, the Bike pulled out infront of the Car to make a U-Turn without looking. The Car couldn't avoid the bike... BUT... thats just an assumption...

Key facts need to be established - Drinking ? (both Rider and Driver); Speeding ? (Driver); Pulled out without looking (Rider).

If the motorcycle was hit and then found 200 meters away , you can safely state that the driver was speeding (and quite a bit too).

[Finkelstein]

I honestly think it is fair to assume high speed, the bike weighs around 170 kg and a thai police guy weighs 70 so 240 kg thrown 200 meters away, that is a pretty large kinetic energy released there, the Benz looks badly damaged too indicating high speed impact.

And then of course the thing about motorbike turn suddenly in a u-turn - anyway in Denmark at least it is the rule "drive so you can brake in case something happen" and we all know that u-turns are extremely dangerous, so the Brit did not do that, he must be at fault too or only depending on the motorcycle...

[butch333]

oaw oaw oaw , you judge the brit man but read first .... the motorbike , not a small 125cc, cross the road and the policeman don't look if the was coming ( of course it's normal here , they cross or they come out a small soi or turn to the left or right FIRST AND LOOK AFTER ) , the brit driver can do nothing , NOTHING . a car who drive at 90 or 100 km/h and hit a bike like this , it's normal that we find the motorbike driver far from the accident , and sûre when it's a 3 way like there . so stop to say that the brit is guilty ..............

[Denim]

Thrown 200 meters again. Seems this distance is becoming a bit too common. Do they have other distances here apart from the equally vague ' sork ' used in the building trade

[Mackstask]

Crazy Brit. You don't visit a foreign country, rent a car, and drive with reckless abandon. You don't know the roads and you are a guest.

I hope they lock up Mr. Benjamin in a Thai prison cell for a few years and not just let him go back to the island after paying off the officer's family.

My condolences to Police Lance Corporal Wiroon's family and friends. Terrible that this happens at the end of the Songkran holiday.

What a naive comment. You believe everything you read and take it as gospel. You crazy Farang!!!!!

[Anthony5]

That's a lot of damage from hitting a motorcyle.

In fact, I'd go to say impossible!

I agree with you, it must be a conspiracy, better we get out our tin foil hats.

[balo]

It must have been a high speeding car when you look at the damages. Accidents waiting to happen in Thailand , if people can't adjust the speed and drive defensively. This is not Europe , it's dangerous roads and dangerous drivers here, please take care.

[cancan70]

I think it is silly to assign blame at this time in the proceedings. We have no idea who's at fault and it could be that they were both in the wrong. The Brit for speeding and the Thai officer for making an ill-advised U-turn in front of an on coming car.

[butch333]

just hit a dog with your cat at 90 km/h , and you ll see the face of car . you speak about something that you don't know . it's crazy .... are you all experts of what ??? and even if he was driving to quick , is that a reason to be guilty of murder ? the title say : - a brit killed a motorbike policeman driver .... KILLED ???? beter say : a motorbike policeman driver die after accident with a car . a why say that the driver is brit ??? how many expats or tourist die after accident with thai-drivers ( drunked , who takes jaba , who fall asleep , who drive crazy ) ? anyway , the brit will be guilty just cause he's farang so everybody will be happy , even you the expats . you disgusting me .

[JOC]

Know where the accident happened, it is within city limits,good road, max speed allowed 90km/h.

Look at the pic in the OP, no way Mr Benjamin was going 90, more likely 200............

And that would probably explain, why the officer crossed the road. He never expected the car to be approaching that fast.

We don't know, but not another Thai bashing thread please!!

[Banzai99]

Nearly every Farang I know who drinks and has transport, drinks and drives on a regular basis, of course none of these would be ThaVisa members nor would they be known to any other ThaiVisa members bar me.

In ThaiVisaland it's always the Thai that's at fault.

[metisdead]

An inflammatory post has been removed. You may disagree with another poster, but it must be done in a civil manner.

[robertthebruce]

Definetly speeding by the looks of the 'Mercedes''.....

[berybert]

Just imagine if the car driver had slammed on his brakes to avoid the biker, and killed a family of 6 who were driving 2 foot from his boot.