Canadian family raising money to get son home after scooter crash in Thailand

[uwe_rayong]

The funny thing about how they worded the title of this article. At first glance, I thought it was a humanitarian plead for help. Then I read and found it to be a drunk driving offense. Fooled again

Aren't all drunks really just pleading for help? Seems this kid didn't learn his lesson in Canada. Too bad his parents allowed him to come here to Thailand to screw up again.

His parents allowed him....`?

The little boy is 32 years old, do you think he is still asking them for advice?

[bkkcanuck8]

I think many of us have jumped on a scooter whilst having drunk too much.

Speak for yourself. Those who understand motorcycle safety would never ride after having drunk alcohol.

Interestingly, in 45 years of motorcycling I have never fallen or had an accident after drinking though there have many while sober. Logic suggests that I should have a couple of beers before each ride, but reality tells me that you have to understand your limitations, and there is such a thing as "too much".

I read another article that the accident occurred (family claim) 4 hours after landing.... 20+ hour transit time, 10 hour jet lag.... even without alcohol I would never be in any shape to drive without a good nights sleep. Add to that a 0.195 blood alcohol level (over 3 times the legal limit from whence he came)..... He should have to liquidate everything he owns and pay the family and still go to prison for a fair length of time. Of course we know that this sob story will probably be able to raise enough money to pay some blood money and get a "get out of jail" free card unfortunately.

[cruisemonkey]

In Canada, you can't kill someone while driving drunk and walk away 'free & clear' for $100,000.

[Keesters]

Moral of the story; Don't rent scooters in Thailand.

Not at all. I've been riding one every day for the last 30 years here and am still alive with no broken bones.

Moral is DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE. And if you must drive then watch out for OTHER DRUNK DRIVERS.

[metisdead]

An inflammatory post has been removed as well as the replies.

A post in violation of fair use policy has been removed as well.

[mathias67]

How does a convicted sex offender make their way into Thailand ?

"Hoffman was also ordered to provide a DNA sample to the national police registry and his name is now on the national sex offender registry." (source http://www.campbellrivermirror.com/news/114741954.html)

Also been convicted of drunk driving in Canada https://justice.gov.bc.ca/cso/criminal/file/charges.do?fileID=1158010.0007

And according to phuketwan his blood alcohol was .195 during this accident. I would say that this is the reason it is Hoffman's fault......

On first reading this report I thought typical in that if a ferang gets involved in an accident it is ALWAYS the ferangs fault and how does the ferang get out of trouble Answer: Big money pay off.

Well it appears this young man loves to drink and drive let only his other problems in the USA and I can only conclude that he is the guilty party and deserves everything he gets. Lucky he did not kill anyone and as and when he gets home he needs to go to AA and sort his drinking out

[thailand49]

Should we help or feel sorry for him? He is a Farang other wise the police would not even bother to go to the hospital. He needs to make compensation to the families like anyone the difference here is again he is a Farang. The % of insurance here in Thailand especially Thai is nothing extra except the insurance provided 10-15,000 baht under the registration plan.

Last, he is not a child any longer on the surface his family has been bailing him out his whole life. Coming to Thailand with his history it was a matter of time. Hard on the parents but maybe some time in jail might be his cure, sorry to say it might have to be Thailand..

Meantime, the family might think about getting him a lawyer first. Trying to deal with the BIB by himself is not a good idea no matter what country you are in.

[stevenl]

How does a convicted sex offender make their way into Thailand ?

"Hoffman was also ordered to provide a DNA sample to the national police registry and his name is now on the national sex offender registry." (source http://www.campbellrivermirror.com/news/114741954.html)

Also been convicted of drunk driving in Canada https://justice.gov.bc.ca/cso/criminal/file/charges.do?fileID=1158010.0007

And according to phuketwan his blood alcohol was .195 during this accident. I would say that this is the reason it is Hoffman's fault......

On first reading this report I thought typical in that if a ferang gets involved in an accident it is ALWAYS the ferangs fault and how does the ferang get out of trouble Answer: Big money pay off.

Well it appears this young man loves to drink and drive let only his other problems in the USA and I can only conclude that he is the guilty party and deserves everything he gets. Lucky he did not kill anyone and as and when he gets home he needs to go to AA and sort his drinking out

First of all, your thinking that it is always the foreigner at fault is simply not true.

Second of all, please try to read first before posting: " Lucky he did not kill anyone" .

[thailand49]

25,000,000 baht compensation? How much goes to the police? Think there's more to the story than is reported????

How you come up with the 25 million baht number,, $100,000 USD is around 3.200,000 baht. In general a life is worth around 300,000 baht.. which is what you see on many insurance policies if one dies.

Second, the BIB have no business asking money this is a Civil Case, The BIB should be only concern with the lost of life! Again...

Family need to get a Lawyer quick if not already. Something is missing here in the story which is not unusual!

[dunque]

The funny thing about how they worded the title of this article. At first glance, I thought it was a humanitarian plead for help. Then I read and found it to be a drunk driving offense. Fooled again

Aren't all drunks really just pleading for help? Seems this kid didn't learn his lesson in Canada. Too bad his parents allowed him to come here to Thailand to screw up again.

This 'kid' is 32 - time to grow up and take responsibility

[wooloomooloo]

It was written in the stars that this guy would be involved in an accident in Thailand sooner or later, particularly with his history. Drunk, jetlagged, uninsured and a proven miscreant.

I wouldn't donate my spare change to his latest cause as Mr Hoffman is never going to learn the facts of life if people keep bailing him out.

$100,000 restitution to the victim's family and three years in the monkey house would help focus his mind. Not mollycoddling to his every indiscretion.

Here's hoping that his time has come and going to be one hell of a lesson that he chose to land in LOS.

Some of the comments on the following link are harsh, but fair.

http://www.youcaring.com/other/the-hoffman-fundraiser/342578

[montereyjp]

Absolutely guilty ... He is ether extremely stupid or has a mental deficiency to rent and then drive the scooter being so intoxicated.. With the level of alcohol he had it should of been obvious he was intoxicated and yet the vender rented him the scooter anyways. .TIT..ok but still one needs just a little common sense to realize letting this man get on a scooter would be a bad idea.. And now the family has the gall to ask for donations....leaves me speachless ...

[PoorSucker]

Whether he's guilty or not, the fact that the Royal Thai Police take somebody to a filthy prison merely days after invasive surgery astounds me, I didn't realise how stupid they really are..... An afterthought, did a doctor approve his release from medical care knowing that the patient was going to be taken into the "care" of a prison system that would obviously put the patient's health at high risk? As for the ransom negotiations, I suppose it's a step up from the jet ski scam.

Who said the prison was filthy?

Here on Samui there is a prison wing at the government hospital.

[wooloomooloo]

Let's get this straight. The fundraising encompasses the whole gamut of settling Mr Hoffman's medical expenses, repatriation and current living expenses, restitution to the victim's family and legal fees.

That's a serious amount of money and I doubt that his family will raise a fraction of these costs and they'll spiral with each passing day.

I have every respect for his family's fundraising efforts as that's what families do, but there won't, ultimately, be a lot of sympathy found elsewhere.

[Doc46]

Lock him up for life with lifers so they can have a lot of fun stretching his ring )

[arthurwait]

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How does a convicted sex offender make their way into Thailand ? alt=whistling.gif>

"Hoffman was also ordered to provide a DNA sample to the national police registry and his name is now on the national sex offender registry." (source http://www.campbellrivermirror.com/news/114741954.html)

Also been convicted of drunk driving in Canada https://justice.gov.bc.ca/cso/criminal/file/charges.do?fileID=1158010.0007

And according to phuketwan his blood alcohol was .195 during this accident. I would say that this is the reason it is Hoffman's fault......

How did you come by that information ?

Those links don't work , for me anyway

https://justice.gov.bc.ca/cso/esearch/esearchHome.do <- public search database of British Columbia Court system.

Screenshot attached of his 2003 convictions for :

Operating a Motor Vehicle while impaired Section 253 (a) Criminal Code of Canada (Guilty)

Driving while Prohibited Section 95(1) Motor Vehicle Act of British Columbia (Guilty)

Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle Section 249 Criminal Code of Canada (Guilty)

If you wish to know about the sexual assault conviction, search "Jason Hoffman Campbell River"

His licence is already suspended there so looks like there is already another earlier incident.

[Suradit69]

Moral of the story; Don't rent scooters in Thailand.

So if you are driving drunk and have several prior arrests in Canada for driving while impaired, operating a vehicle while prohibited & operating a vehicle dangerously, the lesson to be learned is just about not renting a scooter in Thailand?

[balo]

What a jerk! Legs hope they deport him asap.

[Suradit69]

25,000,000 baht compensation? How much goes to the police? Think there's more to the story than is reported????

How you come up with the 25 million baht number,, $100,000 USD is around 3.200,000 baht. In general a life is worth around 300,000 baht.. which is what you see on many insurance policies if one dies.

Second, the BIB have no business asking money this is a Civil Case, The BIB should be only concern with the lost of life! Again...

Family need to get a Lawyer quick if not already. Something is missing here in the story which is not unusual!

" $100,000 USD is around 3.200,000 baht."

How did USD enter the picture? He's from Canada and the original article was printed in Canada. More like $2.6 million baht.

[PoorSucker]

1 Canadian Dollar equals 27.46 Thai Baht

[stevenl]

Absolutely guilty ... He is ether extremely stupid or has a mental deficiency to rent and then drive the scooter being so intoxicated.. With the level of alcohol he had it should of been obvious he was intoxicated and yet the vender rented him the scooter anyways. .TIT..ok but still one needs just a little common sense to realize letting this man get on a scooter would be a bad idea.. And now the family has the gall to ask for donations....leaves me speachless ...

Highly unlikely he rented the bike while intoxicated, much note likely he rented and had a few afterwards.

[thailand49]

25,000,000 baht compensation? How much goes to the police? Think there's more to the story than is reported????

How you come up with the 25 million baht number,, $100,000 USD is around 3.200,000 baht. In general a life is worth around 300,000 baht.. which is what you see on many insurance policies if one dies.

Second, the BIB have no business asking money this is a Civil Case, The BIB should be only concern with the lost of life! Again...

Family need to get a Lawyer quick if not already. Something is missing here in the story which is not unusual!

" $100,000 USD is around 3.200,000 baht."

How did USD enter the picture? He's from Canada and the original article was printed in Canada. More like $2.6 million baht.

My apologize but whenever I see a $ = sign in front my assumption you are talking USD?

[Spaniel]

The funny thing about how they worded the title of this article. At first glance, I thought it was a humanitarian plead for help. Then I read and found it to be a drunk driving offense. Fooled again

Aren't all drunks really just pleading for help? Seems this kid didn't learn his lesson in Canada. Too bad his parents allowed him to come here to Thailand to screw up again.

I wouldn't exactly call him a kid. One article said he was 32 so I don't think he would need to check with his parents about coming to Thailand,

[Andre0720]

Whether he's guilty or not, the fact that the Royal Thai Police take somebody to a filthy prison merely days after invasive surgery astounds me, I didn't realise how stupid they really are..... An afterthought, did a doctor approve his release from medical care knowing that the patient was going to be taken into the "care" of a prison system that would obviously put the patient's health at high risk? As for the ransom negotiations, I suppose it's a step up from the jet ski scam.

Royal Thai Police take somebody to a filthy prison merely days after invasive surgery astounds me,

But then:

Just four hours after Jason Hoffman arrived in Phuket, Thailand in mid-April, he was involved in a serious scooter accident. DRUNK was he already?

[fobuff]

morale of the story... do not ride scooters

[DLock]

Sounds like his family have had to get him out of some other bad decisions he has made in the past.

Might be time to let him fend for himself in Thailand.

Kid just doesn't seem to learn real good.

[ratcatcher]

How does a convicted sex offender make their way into Thailand ?

"Hoffman was also ordered to provide a DNA sample to the national police registry and his name is now on the national sex offender registry." (source http://www.campbellrivermirror.com/news/114741954.html)

Also been convicted of drunk driving in Canada https://justice.gov.bc.ca/cso/criminal/file/charges.do?fileID=1158010.0007

And according to phuketwan his blood alcohol was .195 during this accident. I would say that this is the reason it is Hoffman's fault......

On first reading this report I thought typical in that if a ferang gets involved in an accident it is ALWAYS the ferangs fault and how does the ferang get out of trouble Answer: Big money pay off.

Well it appears this young man loves to drink and drive let only his other problems in the USA and I can only conclude that he is the guilty party and deserves everything he gets. Lucky he did not kill anyone and as and when he gets home he needs to go to AA and sort his drinking out

"......this young man loves to drink and drive let only his other problems in the USA............"

You might remember there's a small country to the north of the Yewessay and this guy is from Vancouver Island in the west.He was living in Calgary, but may have to enjoy a longer vacation in Thailand. His situation was self inflicted.

Not an American's fault this time.

[NickJ]

Prison prison prison.....get drunk. Drive a car or motorbike...kill another human....and go to ..........prison. stupid story.

[bristolgeoff]

where was his travel insurance when he come to Thailand.if he did he would be ok now and back home

[EyesWideOpen]

This story does raise an interesting point. Let say you are legally drunk, but are

carefully driving home even though you are a bit impaired. Then suddenly a

Thai bike with three people on it hit you, and one of them dies. Is it automatically

your fault if you are drunk, even though the Thai guy caused the accident ?