Russian man charged for fatal big bike slam into Chinese tourist

[craigt3365]

Condolences to the deceased's family and friends for their loss.

Well put. No matter the reasons, a member of a family has been lost. Condolences to the family also.

[madmitch]

Pedestrian crossings here are a joke. No lights and a total lack of respect for pedestrians by motorists.

Hey, city installed cross walk with lights near my condo on Second Road Jomtien. Has functioned perhaps one week in last year. However, the yellow blinking light still blinks.... perhaps it is like fishing lure for tourists or "Just for Gags"?

Can't think of any cross walk light here in Phuket Island ... not even one

They installed them about five years ago on Karon Beach Road. Probably lasted no longer than a month and have been switched off ever since.

[LivinginKata]

Pedestrian crossings here are a joke. No lights and a total lack of respect for pedestrians by motorists.

Hey, city installed cross walk with lights near my condo on Second Road Jomtien. Has functioned perhaps one week in last year. However, the yellow blinking light still blinks.... perhaps it is like fishing lure for tourists or "Just for Gags"?

Can't think of any cross walk light here in Phuket Island ... not even one

They installed them about five years ago on Karon Beach Road. Probably lasted no longer than a month and have been switched off ever since.

Like many traffic lights here on the Island ... oh well ...

[Briggsy]

My experience with Chinese crossing the road is they just steam into the traffic expecting it to stop. They are not safe crossers

My experience with Russians riding large motorcycles is they go fast. They are not safe riders.

However on Phuket, you have the Chinese consul who sticks a barbed pike up the governor's backside every time a Chinese tourist suffers a misfortune.

Also on Phuket, the police look for any opportunity to make a quick baht or hundred thousand every time any incident involves a foreigner.

So the Russki gets charged (for now).

[nontabury]

In the US the bailmoney actually put in holdings is %10 of the bail with bond for the rest.How does it work here now ? Did they keep his pass port I wonder or is the 200,000 baht a bribe for him to leave ?

There is some truth in what you say. The Thai authorities sometime give someone bail without taking their passport from them, in the hope that the person will then do a runner,never to return, leaving the bail money for the system or certain people.

[stevenl]

Pedestrian crossings here are a joke. No lights and a total lack of respect for pedestrians by motorists.

Hey, city installed cross walk with lights near my condo on Second Road Jomtien. Has functioned perhaps one week in last year. However, the yellow blinking light still blinks.... perhaps it is like fishing lure for tourists or "Just for Gags"?

Can't think of any cross walk light here in Phuket Island ... not even one

They installed them about five years ago on Karon Beach Road. Probably lasted no longer than a month and have been switched off ever since.

And a few years ago also in kata, opposite the carpark at Kata Beach resort.

[sanukjim]

Accidents on bikes aren't always what they seem. About 50 years ago i took my bike driving test, then you had to continually drive

around the block which had a zebra crossing and traffic lights etc. the examiner would walk around the block observing you at different locations.

It was raining slightly and i was continually looking out for the examiner when i came up to the crossing,two old ladies were already in the middle

i braked, skidded and bumped gently into one old lady who didn't even fall,that is until i reached out in panic to stop her in case she fell and in so doing punched her in the eye, then she did fall over, I didn't pass my test.

Were you surprised??

Sounds like the locals" I was looking out for the examiner" not paying attention to the road.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

Pedestrian crossings here are a joke. No lights and a total lack of respect for pedestrians by motorists.

Didn't you know motorist have the right of way and pedestrians are objects of inconvenience.

[Khon Kaen Dave]

As the OP said,a Russian called Robert Ness????? Quite sure it wasn't Elliot Ness?He was also one of the 'untouchables' wasn't he?

[gandalf12]

Pedestrian crossings here are a joke. No lights and a total lack of respect for pedestrians by motorists.

I agree but really nothing to do with this story. Hard to say who was at fault although my feeling is Russian on a big bike was speeding.

'Who was at fault'???? In the UK, among other civilised countries, the PEDESTRIAN comes first! Never mind the idiot US get out clause 'jaywalking'. You are a 'soft machine'. Other road users, whether it be bike or car, should ALWAYS be looking out for YOU

Agreed you should always be driving at a speed that allows you to safely stop within your seeing distance. The posted speed limit is irrelevant it is what is safe for you without exceeding it that counts.

Edited January 5, 2016 by gandalf12

[bazza40]

No way of knowing who was at fault if there is no video evidence or reliable witnesses.

I've seen plenty of big bike riders who go much faster than the pace of other traffic.

I've also seen many pedestrians who act as if they are in a bubble that can't be breached. It's almost as if there is no other traffic around them.

[palace15]

I have always found the Chinese to be the most ignorant of road users whether walking or heaven forbid riding scooters, hope the rest of them learn something from this.

[JetsetBkk]

I have always found the Chinese to be the most ignorant of road users whether walking or heaven forbid riding scooters, hope the rest of them learn something from this.

Like this couple. The woman is standing in the road taking a picture of a tangle of cables on poles. Didn't even flinch when I beeped my horn at her.

[jacko45k]

Pedestrian crossings here are a joke. No lights and a total lack of respect for pedestrians by motorists.

I agree but really nothing to do with this story. Hard to say who was at fault although my feeling is Russian on a big bike was speeding.

its a 4 lane road, if he was speeding he'd still be seen by the chinese if he wasnt walking with his eyes up the sky or on a phone screen.

Or looking the wrong way.

I suppose the bike rider should have seen him too.

[derator01]

A few inappropriate posts have been removed from view. Show some respect or don't post.

[duckmandon]

We don't know what happened, so why speculate. Bike going to fast, maybe. Chinese guy stepping in front of bike he didn't see, maybe. Usually around the world, roads are for vehicles not pedestrians, that is why there are crossings or traffic lights. Here we can only hope that we can cross the road & not be hit because there aren't any suitable places to cross. Maybe the Thai government is at fault because of their inability to ensure safe passage.

[williet98248]

Pedestrian crossings here are a joke. No lights and a total lack of respect for pedestrians by motorists.

I agree but really nothing to do with this story. Hard to say who was at fault although my feeling is Russian on a big bike was speeding.

its a 4 lane road, if he was speeding he'd still be seen by the chinese if he wasnt walking with his eyes up the sky or on a phone screen.

And the motorbike rider would have seen the man crossing.

At 7:00 Pm it is dark or late twilight and heavy traffic on that stretch where it narrows coming south from the light. Might be difficult for the MC driver to see the guy. Especially fi he was wearing dark clothing. Bad news for everyone concerned.

[Peter Strand]

What the Pedestrians were thinking they did ? Crossing a road with 4 lanes without a traffic sign ?

Pedestrians have nothing to do on a four lane road crossing it. Sorry to say but in this case I am with

the biker, doesn't matter how fast he ever was.

[craigt3365]

What the Pedestrians were thinking they did ? Crossing a road with 4 lanes without a traffic sign ?

Pedestrians have nothing to do on a four lane road crossing it. Sorry to say but in this case I am with

the biker, doesn't matter how fast he ever was.

I didn't see any pedestrian crossings anywhere near that housing estate. There should be one as it's a pretty good assumption people from that estate will have to cross the road.

[chrissables]

Pedestrian crossings here are a joke. No lights and a total lack of respect for pedestrians by motorists.

I agree but really nothing to do with this story. Hard to say who was at fault although my feeling is Russian on a big bike was speeding.

'Who was at fault'???? In the UK, among other civilised countries, the PEDESTRIAN comes first! Never mind the idiot US get out clause 'jaywalking'. You are a 'soft machine'. Other road users, whether it be bike or car, should ALWAYS be looking out for YOU

You are so funny, the UK a civilized country!

A road was built for.........bikes, motorbikes and cars etc. Not pedestrians.

In Jomtian i have had near misses with Chinese who just walk in the road with no awareness at all.

I have seen one have his leg broken by walking in front of a car and giving the car no time to stop.

If he was crossing without using a pedestrian crossing, he (the pedestrian) is responsible for his actions.

The blame lies with a person who thinks it's ok to walk across four lanes of highway without checking it's clear.

[chrissables]

Tourists come to Thailand with no idea of the road systems and ways of driving, probably in their own countries the biggest bikes they have rode is a bicycle of a 50cc moped then hire these big motorbikes trying to be the big Farlangs, aiming the things rather then able to control them. I have seen Farlang tourists in Chiang Mai on the hired big bikes barely being able to keep their balance zooming down the roads like bats out of hell. It`s no wonder they are involved in so many accidents.

Do you really think a person who has only ever ridden a 50cc bike comes on a motorbike tour of Thailand renting big bikes?

How do you know they were "tourists, and not expats?

Big bikes are in so many accidents, really? I am just at the end of two months of riding a bike around Thailand, Malaysia and Laos, and without fail any big bike i came across were ridden well and with good road craft.

Small bikes and tourists are another matter.

[bearpolar]

We don't know what happened, so why speculate. Bike going to fast, maybe. Chinese guy stepping in front of bike he didn't see, maybe. Usually around the world, roads are for vehicles not pedestrians, that is why there are crossings or traffic lights. Here we can only hope that we can cross the road & not be hit because there aren't any suitable places to cross. Maybe the Thai government is at fault because of their inability to ensure safe passage.

There's a traffic light 2mins by foot from where it happened.

[craigt3365]

We don't know what happened, so why speculate. Bike going to fast, maybe. Chinese guy stepping in front of bike he didn't see, maybe. Usually around the world, roads are for vehicles not pedestrians, that is why there are crossings or traffic lights. Here we can only hope that we can cross the road & not be hit because there aren't any suitable places to cross. Maybe the Thai government is at fault because of their inability to ensure safe passage.

There's a traffic light 2mins by foot from where it happened.

Must be new. Doesn't show up on Google Earth. Is it even working?? LOL

[bearpolar]

What the Pedestrians were thinking they did ? Crossing a road with 4 lanes without a traffic sign ?

Pedestrians have nothing to do on a four lane road crossing it. Sorry to say but in this case I am with

the biker, doesn't matter how fast he ever was.

I didn't see any pedestrian crossings anywhere near that housing estate. There should be one as it's a pretty good assumption people from that estate will have to cross the road.

From the intersection with the lights. You didnt look very far before trying to sound interesting?

Also no reason to cross the road by foot there, the housing estate is far from the road and theres nothing on the oposite side, the food market is on the same side as the estate.

Edited January 6, 2016 by seedy
large foto

[stevenl]

Villa Zoltitude is on the other side of the road, maybe they were staying there. Also some people like to observe local Thai life, which they would also find on the other side of the road. Or maybe they were interested in the Phuket FC training grounds, who lknows what they were doing, nor does it really matter why they wanted to cross.

Edited January 6, 2016 by seedy
Quote hidden post

[craigt3365]

Be nice. I used Google Maps, went up and down the road and didn't see a pedestrian crossing. There is a light a few hundred meters north, but no ped crossing. And there are buildings opposite, could be food carts there at night, as is normal here in Thailand. They roam around. Maybe they were going to catch a baht bus, who knows.

But it is the pedestrian's responsibility regarding safety when crossing the road.

[bazza40]

Just had an incident at Rimping where a falang walked with his back to my car flagging down a tuk-tuk, then crossed another line of cars coming in the opposite direction to get to the tuk-tuk.

Som nam na if he winds up in hospital with a couple of broken legs.

[biplanebluey]

A Russian named Robert Ness?

Elliot his father?

[hyperHowie]

Pedestrian crossings here are a joke. No lights and a total lack of respect for pedestrians by motorists.

I agree but really nothing to do with this story. Hard to say who was at fault although my feeling is Russian on a big bike was speeding.

'Who was at fault'???? In the UK, among other civilised countries, the PEDESTRIAN comes first! Never mind the DELETED get out clause 'jaywalking'. You are a 'soft machine'. Other road users, whether it be bike or car, should ALWAYS be looking out for YOU

I cannot believe your xenophobic comment. For one, you're not in the UK. Second, in "some" civilized societies the DRIVER has the right of way because in THEIR -- not my -- thinking pedestrians are seen as more nimble than a driver and are expected to look first anyway. I could be just as culturally biased and say in some "civilized" countries, ppl drive on the RIGHT. But then, that would be my bias.

A better example I found on the internet:

"People who read English often assume that it is natural to scan a visual field from left to right and from top to bottom. In the United States it is typical for the "on" position of a toggle switch to be "up", whereas in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand it is "down." Also, in these countries, North is the top of a map, up is usually the larger quantity and better, as well. As another example, Japanese do not place an X in a check-box to indicate acceptancethis indicates refusal."

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

- Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.

[soalbundy]

Accidents on bikes aren't always what they seem. About 50 years ago i took my bike driving test, then you had to continually drive

around the block which had a zebra crossing and traffic lights etc. the examiner would walk around the block observing you at different locations.

It was raining slightly and i was continually looking out for the examiner when i came up to the crossing,two old ladies were already in the middle

i braked, skidded and bumped gently into one old lady who didn't even fall,that is until i reached out in panic to stop her in case she fell and in so doing punched her in the eye, then she did fall over, I didn't pass my test.

Were you surprised??

No, relieved that i wasn't prosecuted and that the old lady, who wasn't badly hurt, saw the funny side of it.