Phuket bus driver charged with reckless driving

[webfact]

Phuket bus driver charged with reckless driving
Darawan Naknakhon


Phuchong told police the incident happened because of his own recklessness, and he was therefore charged with reckless driving causing damaged to property and other persons.

PHUKET: -- A Phuket bus driver has been charged with reckless driving after crashing his bus into a hotel and injuring three Chinese tourists.

TR Bamboo Travel employee, Phuchong Bunlopaphinan, 40, walked in to Phuket City Police Station at 10am yesterday (Jan 13) and reported an incident to Lt Ronnaphum Permpoon that happened on Tuesday (Jan 12).

Phuchong told police that after dropping off 22 Chinese tourist at Saruda Hotel in Rassada on Tuesday he shifted the bus’ gears because he afraid the bus would roll.

The following day when he returned to the bus, he started the bus but had forgotten to shift the gears back. This caused the vehicle to accelerate and collide with flower pots, a bench, hotel building and injure three Chinese tourist who were sitting waiting for the bus.

The three victim were named as:

1. Mr Yuan Zhanao, 70, leg injuries

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-bus-driver-charged-with-reckless-driving-55783.php


-- Phuket News 2016-01-14

[sebastion]

At least he was honest and not the usual brake failure excuse.

[cooked]

Goodness

[eisfeld]

At least he was honest and not the usual brake failure excuse.

Agreed. A rare occurence it seems. Props to the driver even though he made a mistake.

But how is this reckless driving?

Edited January 14, 2016 by eisfeld

[Briggsy]

He only admitted it because the Chinese consul was administering water torture as the police held him down.

[simon43]

Kudos to the man in the photo who is pointing at the bus. I would have missed it otherwise

Edited January 14, 2016 by simon43

[Goldieinkathu]

Goodness

Is that what you thought when you read the headline

My first thought was "surely not"

[NCC1701A]

"Sum Ting Wong! Bus not stop!"

"Ho Lee Fuk! Get out of way of bus!"

[Emster23]

Sounds more like reckless parking than reckless driving. I assume being in gear when starting engine would mean bus was moved by starter motor? The jails would be full if stupidity was against the law....

[duckmandon]

Pretty hard to start a bus when its in gear. Probably forgot to brain into gear before starting work.

[cardinalblue]

A charge of reckless driving is the same mentality of why Thais drive with their parking lights at dusk/dawn...don't know the difference between parking and driving....

Edited January 15, 2016 by cardinalblue

[SOTIRIOS]

....doesn't that mean he has NO emergency brake...???

[cream]

....doesn't that mean he has NO emergency brake...???

Bingo!

[PETERTHEEATER]

Another confused report. I assume that when the driver parked the bus he put the manual transmission into gear after shutting down the engine, This would near lock the transmission and help prevent the bus rolling forward if parked on an incline.

It beggars belief that when he came to start the engine he did not disengage the clutch before turning the key. Clearly, the parking brake too was not applied or is unserviceable.

Being parked on a slope when he started the engine the bus surged forward in gear. Had it been level with parking brake on it would probably have jumped forward a short distance then stalled the engine.

[Truth4All]

At least he was honest and not the usual brake failure excuse.

Agreed. A rare occurence it seems. Props to the driver even though he made a mistake.

But how is this reckless driving?

I was taught to start the car with the clutch pushed in--- He's stupid and should lose his job. Not a forgivable mistake!

[Snackbar]

What's the penalty for reckless driving?

What's the consequence of a pi*s poor driving test, lack of sensible law enforcement, dodgy vehicle maintenance.

12,000 fatalities a year. Tens of thousands hospitalized.