Drunk woman sweeps five cyclists, killing three

[canardo]

Remember that "around the world cyclist" who was hit and killed, while his wife and kid "just" injured by that pick up driver. So that pick up driver got away with a THB 1,000 fine, if I am not mistaken, but I do not recall if speeding, alcohol or just the usual "break failure" made it happen...

[Local Drunk]

There is a picture of the other side of the car in this report. Not a chance someone was going to be getting out on this side. I'm not putting much credence on the claim there was someone else in there. http://www.cm108.com/bbb/topic/5201-ภาพอุบัติเหตุรถยนต์ชนกลุ่มน/

There is one pic in another website that shows the car up-righted with a bicycle through the front windscreen. I don't know what links are acceptable to the Forum Mods. It's not the BP...

Edited May 4, 2015 by Local Drunk

[sotsira]

According to some facebook pages she was not alone in the car. A 56 year old high ranking army person was with her. So 23 year old Uni student, the mia noi of the army guy perhaps ? Both drunk from a night out, rushing to get back, boom, 3 people dead.

Won't need anything to get away scot free. The old guy will just get the mad general to "have a word"

Strange how the Thai media seems to omit the presence of the high ranking army officer.... The silence speaks volumes.

Well the official Thai media is censored and tightly controlled by guess who ? You've got it the mad General's cronies. Already working by keeping his name out the news. As for the girl well, probably doesn't have a driving license and car was provided as part of her "Mia Noi service" payment. Human live is considered worthless in Thailand, the Baht far more important,

There are videos of this accident taken right after it happened and uploaded to social media. The female drunk driver is hanging out of the drivers window wailing and screaming with a broken arm . There are three dead cyclists on the road, other injured cyclists at the side of the road. No emergency services they have not arrived yet. Your imaginary high ranking military man is nowhere to be seen. I wont say your post is total <deleted> there is no need.

Wrong!

The video clearly shows the female hanging out of the passenger window.

Don't forget the car is upside down.

[Happy Grumpy]

My opinion is that she should be charged with murder.

You realize that murder is the intent to kill?

[h90]

My opinion is that she should be charged with murder.

Murder is when you kill someone on purpose.

The woman was driving drunk, but I doubt she intended to kill them. It was a tragic accident, but put her in jail for a long time won't make the cyclists alive again.

[Local Drunk]

My opinion is that she should be charged with murder.

Murder is when you kill someone on purpose.

The woman was driving drunk, but I doubt she intended to kill them. It was a tragic accident, but put her in jail for a long time won't make the cyclists alive again.

There are different degrees of murder. I'm not saying she did it intentionally... but her indifference to driving under the influence, which can be dangerous or even lethal (as she has found out) for herself and to others on the road would fall under the category of a 2nd degree murder charge. It most likely would never have happened if she had not been drunk behind the wheel. So yes, I think a charge of murder is fair.

If you can read Thai... There are a lot of very angry citizens out there over these deaths.

Edited May 4, 2015 by Local Drunk

[Local Drunk]

My opinion is that she should be charged with murder.

You realize that murder is the intent to kill?

It wasn't her intent to kill I'm sure, and I am sure that it wasn't premeditated, but she did kill three and put several others in the hospital because she was drunk and driving a car which is a very, very dangerous thing to do. Let's compare drinking and driving with a game; Russian Roulette with a twist. The bullet misses you and hits someone else. Who killed them?

Edited May 4, 2015 by Local Drunk

[scorecard]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

My opinion is that she should be charged with murder.

Murder is when you kill someone on purpose.

The woman was driving drunk, but I doubt she intended to kill them. It was a tragic accident, but put her in jail for a long time won't make the cyclists alive again.

But IMHO it will send a message:

- To others to be more careful (more frightened of the possible consequences) about drinking and driving.

- To the appropriate authorities to get more serious about this subject including, hopefully, mandatory jail (minimum sentence say 1 year) in cases where the driver is tested and is over the limit, plus appropriate further punishment in regard to the seriousness of the injuries / damage caused. If death is involved then the mandatory jail sentence should be 20 years.

Different point:

I've often wondered whether there is a public website where the details of cases like this can be viewed by the public (in Thai language of course).

Anybody know about this? Please share?

[jdinasia]

According to some facebook pages she was not alone in the car. A 56 year old high ranking army person was with her. So 23 year old Uni student, the mia noi of the army guy perhaps ? Both drunk from a night out, rushing to get back, boom, 3 people dead.

Won't need anything to get away scot free. The old guy will just get the mad general to "have a word"

Strange how the Thai media seems to omit the presence of the high ranking army officer.... The silence speaks volumes.

Have you considered that this claim comes from FB? Silence is the appropriate response to BS rumors

[CNXBKKMAN]

Cyclists are a bit of a nuisance to be fair, she will probably get a few hours community service and then feel hard done by.

To be fair your being unfair in your statement. I say this as a cyclist. What a rotten thing to say. Well actually the way you say this do you actually know what fair means. You sound like one of those "Always Right" people. I would guess from young up you had trouble sharing even your toys. Three people were killed here and 2 seriously wounded. I think you should redo your statement hit the edit button.

You get many statements like this like this in the UK. What the poster actually means is "Other road users are a bit of a nuisance" or anyone in front of them . They often believe the roads were built for them only. Other road users just get in the way.

[Sviss Geez]

There are videos of this accident taken right after it happened and uploaded to social media. The female drunk driver is hanging out of the drivers window wailing and screaming with a broken arm . There are three dead cyclists on the road, other injured cyclists at the side of the road. No emergency services they have not arrived yet. Your imaginary high ranking military man is nowhere to be seen. I wont say your post is total <deleted> there is no need.

She's actually at the passenger side of the car but it's irrelevant really as the car has rolled and she would obviously have been thrown around inside if she wasn't belted in.

[ToddinChonburi]

6 am in the morning. Guess you are never safe !!!!!

[Tomtomtom69]

According to some facebook pages she was not alone in the car. A 56 year old high ranking army person was with her. So 23 year old Uni student, the mia noi of the army guy perhaps ? Both drunk from a night out, rushing to get back, boom, 3 people dead.

Won't need anything to get away scot free. The old guy will just get the mad general to "have a word"

Strange how the Thai media seems to omit the presence of the high ranking army officer.... The silence speaks volumes.

Yes it is. I am fluent in Thai and read the Thai language articles on this story and couldn't find anything related to the army guy. Where did you hear this?

[Tomtomtom69]

My opinion is that she should be charged with murder.

Murder is when you kill someone on purpose.

The woman was driving drunk, but I doubt she intended to kill them. It was a tragic accident, but put her in jail for a long time won't make the cyclists alive again.

There are different degrees of murder. I'm not saying she did it intentionally... but her indifference to driving under the influence, which can be dangerous or even lethal (as she has found out) for herself and to others on the road would fall under the category of a 2nd degree murder charge. It most likely would never have happened if she had not been drunk behind the wheel. So yes, I think a charge of murder is fair.

If you can read Thai... There are a lot of very angry citizens out there over these deaths.

Yes there are. In fact, most of them are calling her a "murderer", khatakorn in Thai.

[Tomtomtom69]

I am a cyclist, and I know the road where the accident happened. Most cyclists have some sort of lights, often flashing, or at least someone in each group has lights. But I don't cycle in the dark, because it's quite dangerous enough in the daylight..! My condolences to the families of those killed, and injured. The driver of the car must be punished, but unfortunately, it will not stop it happening again..? The roads get busier, and more dangerous, every year, and everyone is in too much of a hurry..

What's so amazing about this video is that just moments after the accident happened, other vehicles are allowed to just "dodge" the accident scene and drive around it. Why don't the police block the road until they have finished conducting their investigation and cleaning up the scene? I would feel horrible driving over broken pieces of debris that might be treasured possessions belonging to the victims. Equally, I wouldn't want to risk shredding my tyres due to having to drive over some sharp object that belongs to the wrecked car of this drunk imbecile.

The road in question is the Chiang Mai-Chiang Rai road near Doi Saket. The section involved has 4 lanes. What the police could have done was to block all access between the closest u-turn bay before the accident and the closest one after the accident. All traffic should be diverted onto the other side of the road, temporarily turning those two lanes into a two way road. Traffic cones would be placed on the broken lines, to separate traffic.

How hard can that be?

In most other countries, the police blocks all traffic from passing an accident scene until their investigations have been completed. Many times have I been stuck behind major accidents in China - the police simply blocks all traffic from passing until they're done. And they don't care if that means causing motorists to wait for 3-4 hours or more and causing a 20km traffic backup. It's simply the way they do things there and I've had the misfortune of getting stuck for up to 3-4 hours on the expressway as an accident ahead of me was investigated. Even in western countries that's what they do - although I've never seen a major accident in any western country I've been to.

[arthurwait]

6 am in the morning. Guess you are never safe !!!!!

I used to go cycling at 5.30 to finish by 7am to avoid the start of rush hour and the day long drunks, on the sea bridge in Chonburi, but most times there was people still drinking from the night before and just getting in their cars or on their motorbikes and going home while I was still cycling.

Most times you had to dodge drunk motorbike/food stall vendors who had been out all night drinking.

Then of course there are the times you have to pull off the road before the swerving pick up, fortuner or 20 year old Mercedes gets to you.

Don't ever go cycling on a Sunday as they are more plastered than every other day.

[Local Drunk]

According to some facebook pages she was not alone in the car. A 56 year old high ranking army person was with her. So 23 year old Uni student, the mia noi of the army guy perhaps ? Both drunk from a night out, rushing to get back, boom, 3 people dead.

Won't need anything to get away scot free. The old guy will just get the mad general to "have a word"

Strange how the Thai media seems to omit the presence of the high ranking army officer.... The silence speaks volumes.

Have you considered that this claim comes from FB? Silence is the appropriate response to BS rumors

Yep... you have to verify any source of information posted to a public forum.

The internet: It seems to be a world where everyone thinks they are Walter Cronkite without any of his responsibilities of accuracy and balance in news reporting.

[Tomtomtom69]

My opinion is that she should be charged with murder.

Murder is when you kill someone on purpose.

The woman was driving drunk, but I doubt she intended to kill them. It was a tragic accident, but put her in jail for a long time won't make the cyclists alive again.

I'm outraged at these senseless deaths and injuries. Not to mention property destruction. All of this could have been avoided if the careless drunk driver wasn't there in the first place. If she had done the sensible thing and took a cab home, or asked a non-drinking friend to drive her. Or just stay at some local guesthouse to sober up. You can easily find 300 Baht "resorts" all over the place.

Her actions were criminal due to the fact she drove while drunk and in the process killed 3 innocent people and injured too. I can't believe that you aren't outraged too. Imagine it had happened to someone you know. For what she did, a long stint in jail is necessary.

[Tywais]

I am a cyclist, and I know the road where the accident happened. Most cyclists have some sort of lights, often flashing, or at least someone in each group has lights. But I don't cycle in the dark, because it's quite dangerous enough in the daylight..! My condolences to the families of those killed, and injured. The driver of the car must be punished, but unfortunately, it will not stop it happening again..? The roads get busier, and more dangerous, every year, and everyone is in too much of a hurry..

What's so amazing about this video is that just moments after the accident happened, other vehicles are allowed to just "dodge" the accident scene and drive around it. Why don't the police block the road until they have finished conducting their investigation and cleaning up the scene?

That video was taken on the spot very shortly after the accident so no emergency vehicles or police on the scene yet. But even so, they would probably still allow them through but directing them.

[h90]

My opinion is that she should be charged with murder.

Murder is when you kill someone on purpose.

The woman was driving drunk, but I doubt she intended to kill them. It was a tragic accident, but put her in jail for a long time won't make the cyclists alive again.

I'm outraged at these senseless deaths and injuries. Not to mention property destruction. All of this could have been avoided if the careless drunk driver wasn't there in the first place. If she had done the sensible thing and took a cab home, or asked a non-drinking friend to drive her. Or just stay at some local guesthouse to sober up. You can easily find 300 Baht "resorts" all over the place.

Her actions were criminal due to the fact she drove while drunk and in the process killed 3 innocent people and injured too. I can't believe that you aren't outraged too. Imagine it had happened to someone you know. For what she did, a long stint in jail is necessary.

yes it is a tragic....but car accidents happen, often enough with driver who are sober. Often enough drunk people drive home without problems.

Would you advocate the hardest and heaviest punishment if your daughter who usually doesn't drink, one time did and make something stupid?

I am not against putting her into jail but not for years and decades like everyone is talking about. The next one who stab the boyfriend goes out after 6 month if jail at all.

[h90]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

My opinion is that she should be charged with murder.

Murder is when you kill someone on purpose.

The woman was driving drunk, but I doubt she intended to kill them. It was a tragic accident, but put her in jail for a long time won't make the cyclists alive again.

But IMHO it will send a message:

- To others to be more careful (more frightened of the possible consequences) about drinking and driving.

- To the appropriate authorities to get more serious about this subject including, hopefully, mandatory jail (minimum sentence say 1 year) in cases where the driver is tested and is over the limit, plus appropriate further punishment in regard to the seriousness of the injuries / damage caused. If death is involved then the mandatory jail sentence should be 20 years.

Different point:

I've often wondered whether there is a public website where the details of cases like this can be viewed by the public (in Thai language of course).

Anybody know about this? Please share?

So you want to put uncle somchai into jail for 1 year because he drove home around the block with 30km/h with a bit too much?

But murder and raper you let out after 6 month....

[h90]

My opinion is that she should be charged with murder.

Murder is when you kill someone on purpose.

The woman was driving drunk, but I doubt she intended to kill them. It was a tragic accident, but put her in jail for a long time won't make the cyclists alive again.

There are different degrees of murder. I'm not saying she did it intentionally... but her indifference to driving under the influence, which can be dangerous or even lethal (as she has found out) for herself and to others on the road would fall under the category of a 2nd degree murder charge. It most likely would never have happened if she had not been drunk behind the wheel. So yes, I think a charge of murder is fair.

If you can read Thai... There are a lot of very angry citizens out there over these deaths.

Drunk AND speeding.......I don't get why someone who is drunk also drives fast. If she goes with 30-40km per hours nothing would have happen, or if at least no one would have died.

[CNXBKKMAN]

According to some facebook pages she was not alone in the car. A 56 year old high ranking army person was with her. So 23 year old Uni student, the mia noi of the army guy perhaps ? Both drunk from a night out, rushing to get back, boom, 3 people dead.

Won't need anything to get away scot free. The old guy will just get the mad general to "have a word"

Strange how the Thai media seems to omit the presence of the high ranking army officer.... The silence speaks volumes.

Yes it is. I am fluent in Thai and read the Thai language articles on this story and couldn't find anything related to the army guy. Where did you hear this?

To believe in the the army guy being involved you have to believe there was a group of army IT wizards nearby editing him out of the smartphone video footage that was shot after the accident. Another group of military silencing all the locals who have businesses and homes on the side of the road who were checking out the accident and helping the injured. If you believe in this specialist squad of army cover up guys the next question is were they hovering nearby in a blackhawk or were they in a hi tec APC which drove straight across the fields on tracks. Sadly for some posters this "truth" may never come out.

[chiangmaiexpat]

As a cyclist living in Chiang Mai I feel sad and concerned, first because this happened at my doorstep so to speak, second because I empathise with the families of the victims, and third because there is very little done in Thailand to prevent this. Juristically speaking, this is reckless driving and (involuntary) manslaughter involving criminal negligence, not second degree murder.

I am also appalled by the disrespectfulness of certain members using this tragic event as a reason to point out that cyclists are a nuisance or to divulge ill-intended rumours about third party involvement.

As the number of cyclists is increasing on the roads in Chiang Mai and in Thailand, there needs to be more awareness and stricter enforcement of traffic laws.

Cheers, CM-Expat

Edited May 4, 2015 by chiangmaiexpat

[siddv]

Shouldn't the Thai police have thrown her in prison and be demanding at least $300,000 USD ($100, 000 for each death). Isn't that the amount being demanded dowm in Phuket for the drunk Toronto tourist who was involved in a scooter acident that left 1 person dead?

[T_Dog]

Anyone have any official word on how the two cyclists that were in ICU are doing? Hoping they are recovering.

[Baerboxer]

My opinion is that she should be charged with murder.

Murder is when you kill someone on purpose.

The woman was driving drunk, but I doubt she intended to kill them. It was a tragic accident, but put her in jail for a long time won't make the cyclists alive again.

There are different degrees of murder. I'm not saying she did it intentionally... but her indifference to driving under the influence, which can be dangerous or even lethal (as she has found out) for herself and to others on the road would fall under the category of a 2nd degree murder charge. It most likely would never have happened if she had not been drunk behind the wheel. So yes, I think a charge of murder is fair.

If you can read Thai... There are a lot of very angry citizens out there over these deaths.

Drunk AND speeding.......I don't get why someone who is drunk also drives fast. If she goes with 30-40km per hours nothing would have happen, or if at least no one would have died.

Do you know how alcohol effects as a drug? Look it up. Alcohol depresses the central nervous system and diminishes the ability to make rationale judgement. That's why people shouldn't drink and drive. Their ability to judge speed and reaction time is impaired, As is the ability to judge distance and time.

She knew she was feeling the effects of booze as she had pulled over and taken one nap already. Murder, no; but manslaughter most certainly, in any real justice system she would serve prison time, parole with probation, pay a fine and be banned from driving for some time. Here probably a large payment to the families involved, some public contrition and merit making, a bit of community service and a small ban - all dependent on how well connected parents and family are.

[PaPiPuPePo]

Call me naive or too sensitive but I find the not just the video taping and uploading to the internet of dead people moments after they were killed, but also the apparent general acceptance of this, especially among Thais but also members of this forum, troubling, sickening even. And if you look at the Facebook page there appear to be lame and crass attempts at humour among the comments. The lack of consideration or human feeling towards others in this world of 2015 is making me lose all faith in humanity. e.e. cummings put it well, "humunkind."

[mr chow]

I am a cyclist, and I know the road where the accident happened. Most cyclists have some sort of lights, often flashing, or at least someone in each group has lights. But I don't cycle in the dark, because it's quite dangerous enough in the daylight..! My condolences to the families of those killed, and injured. The driver of the car must be punished, but unfortunately, it will not stop it happening again..? The roads get busier, and more dangerous, every year, and everyone is in too much of a hurry..

[rhinoboy]

The lady at the bike shop told me the drunk gal has to pay 20,000baht each and something about her insurance will pay 50,000. I couldn't get exactly what she was pointing out but it seemd to me that all anyone was concerned about was the money. Pay up and its over I guess.