Fatal accident on/near Pedestrian Crossing

[theoldgit]

People that know me are aware that whilst I generally love Thailand, the one thing that scares me is the general standard of driving, crossing the road as a pedestrian and motorcycles speeding on the pavements, I was actually knocked down by a motorcycle who sped up behind me on the pavement, I took a heavy fall but whilst he slowed down and looked round, he didn't stop.

However what I came across today will stay etched on my mind for a very long time.

I had just left Thonglor BTS and was intending to cross the road at the crossing at the junction of Thonglor and Sukhumvit, as I got to the crossing I saw the remains of an elderly woman on the road, I won't describe the state of the poor woman's remains, it's too horrific. About 10 meters into Thonglor I saw one of those large trucks that speed up and down Thonglor all day and night taking waste from the numerous developments in the vicinity, it looked like he'd just pulled up, the young guy who driving got out and looked at the body, he looked genuinely horrified.

A few things stuck me, the traffic continued as usual, with vehicles turning left and right from Sukhumvit, two police officers who were on duty in the nearby gold shop were quickly on the scene, one took photos and the other just stood there. The motorcycle taxi guys from the nearby rank took control of the traffic, they did a pretty good job.

I didn't witness the actual impact, thankfully for me I missed it by a few seconds, but it seemed to me that this poor woman was crossing at the pedestrian crossing on the junction, judging by the mud that had been dislodged from the wheel arches of the truck before the point of impact, the guy had braked quickly, and judging by the stopping position, he'd been motoring.

I think the poor woman was killed instantly, maybe leaving behind a husband and children to grieve.

As I walked home along Thonglor everything was as normal, trucks were still speeding up and down the road, vehicles still ignored pedestrians on crossings and still ran the red light protecting pedestrians on the crossing outside the hospital.

This thought of thing must happen around the world many times every day, but is oppose the thing that shook me the most was that everything carried on as normal.

[DLang]

She's reincarnated already.

[gdgbb]

A tragic event but why are you posting so much speculation?

"I didn't witness the actual impact...About 10 meters into Thonglor I saw one of those large trucks that speed up and down Thonglor all day and night taking waste from the numerous developments in the vicinity, it looked like he'd just pulled up, the young guy who driving got out and looked at the body, he looked genuinely horrified."

It looked like? Those large trucks speed all day? Maybe that truck was not involved but did witness the accident, unlike you?

"...it seemed to me that this poor woman was crossing at the pedestrian crossing..."

It seemed like?

"...judging by the mud that had been dislodged from the wheel arches of the truck before the point of impact, the guy had braked quickly..."

How do you judge that by dirt on the road? You don't know where it came from, you said that you weren't there when it happened.

"...he'd been motoring."

Your implication is that the truck was speeding, how do you know that if you didn't witness the incident?

"I think the poor woman was killed instantly, maybe leaving behind a husband and children to grieve."

More specualtion.

[thonglorjimmy]

A tragic event but why are you posting so much speculation?

"I didn't witness the actual impact...About 10 meters into Thonglor I saw one of those large trucks that speed up and down Thonglor all day and night taking waste from the numerous developments in the vicinity, it looked like he'd just pulled up, the young guy who driving got out and looked at the body, he looked genuinely horrified."

It looked like? Those large trucks speed all day? Maybe that truck was not involved but did witness the accident, unlike you?

"...it seemed to me that this poor woman was crossing at the pedestrian crossing..."

It seemed like?

"...judging by the mud that had been dislodged from the wheel arches of the truck before the point of impact, the guy had braked quickly..."

How do you judge that by dirt on the road? You don't know where it came from, you said that you weren't there when it happened.

"...he'd been motoring."

Your implication is that the truck was speeding, how do you know that if you didn't witness the incident?

"I think the poor woman was killed instantly, maybe leaving behind a husband and children to grieve."

More specualtion.

Well I did see the accident happen, it's not something I'll ever forget.

The old lady was crossing the road at the pedestrian crossing and the lights were in her favour, I suspect she knows that junction very well as she sold vegetables and foodstuffs a metre or so from where she was killed, she's been working there for years, I've lived here ten years and she's been there as long as I can remember.

The truck was turning right from Sukhumvit, the rest of the traffic had stopped, he was traveling much faster than he should have been doing and braked violently causing mud to fall from the wheel arches, he then mowed down the old lady and came to a halt metres along the road.

If you'd have seen the state of the poor souls body and the speed the truck was driving you would have "speculated" that the poor woman died instantly.

I don't know how far the OP was behind me, there was a guy seconds behind me, I don't know if that was him or not, but as I stood frozen he had the presence of mind to stop the traffic from turning left onto her body and went and purchased some sheets to place over the body parts.

In any case his speculation was more accurate than a keyboard warrior sitting comfortably behind his keyboard dissecting the OP.

[huahinjoe]

When I saw on twitter, I knew something terrible happened... Those decades old trucks are still roaming the streets of bangkok actively and I doubt they roadworthy at all in 2016 not to mention they drive very fast to catch the last seconds of every green lights etc RIP

https://twitter.com/js100radio/status/757442744956575744/photo/1

Edited July 25, 2016 by huahinjoe

[thai3]

I try never to cross the road at a so called pedestrian crossing, false sense of security, even the ones with lights, some stop many carry on.

[metisdead]

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