Drunk driving incident kills Phuket motorbike rider

A drunk driving incident killed a Phuket motorbike rider this morning.

A 48 year old Phuket passenger van driver has been charged with drink driving causing death following a collision with a motorbike in Samkong, resulting in the death of the 54 year old motorbike rider. The incident occurred at around 6am when the van, travelling at a high speed, collided with the motorbike from behind, causing the rider to hit a roadside power pole, The Phuket News reported.

Police were informed of the accident on Yaowarat Road, which took place approximately 100 metres from the intersection between Sam Kong Intersection and Bangkok Hospital Phuket. Emergency responders from Vachira Phuket Hospital and the Kusoldharm Foundation arrived at the scene to find the victim lying beside his heavily damaged Honda Wave motorcycle.

The van, a legally registered Toyota taxi, sustained significant damage to its front left area and had a cracked windscreen due to the impact. The driver, Natthaphong Samart, was waiting for the police when they arrived at the scene. The investigation revealed that the motorbike rider was heading towards the intersection when he was struck by the van.

Natthaphong Samart was subsequently taken to Phuket City Police Station, where he underwent a blood alcohol test. The results showed a blood alcohol content of 230 milligrams per 100 millilitres (230mg/dL). Consequently, the police charged him with drunk driving causing death, reckless driving causing death, and reckless driving causing property damage to others. Natthaphong confessed to the charges against him.

This news comes just a week after another motorbike rider was killed in Phuket.

Last week, a motorbike tragedy in Phuket claimed the life of a young Polish woman. The 33 year old rider was killed after she crashed her motorbike and slid under a trailer truck in the Chalong sub-district of Phuket’s main city district.

The ThaiRSC reported in January that as many as 939,713 road accidents were reported in Thailand last year, up 4.7% from 2021. Road accidents killed 14,737 people, and injured 924,799 last year, ThaiRSC said. The committee reported that 536 deaths and 7,885 injuries were among foreigners.