Phuket taxi charged with death of Swiss tourist in motorbike crash

An accident in Phuket has left a Swiss tourist dead and a local taxi driver in custody being charged with his death. The crash took place Monday when taxi driver reportedly lost control of his vehicle and ploughed into the Swiss man who was driving by on his motorbike. The accident took place near Nai Harn in Rawai sub-district.

Witnesses said that a loud bang was heard when the taxi collided with the motorbike. They rushed to the scene and found the 57 year old Swiss tourist laying face down on the ground and unresponsive. CPR was administered there on the street to try to save the man’s life, but he unfortunately did not respond to that either. He was rushed to Chalong Hospital and pronounced dead.

Police have assigned blame to the taxi driver in the accident, charging him with the crime of negligent driving causing death. Reports have said that he lost control of his taxi while driving on the road to Nai Harn Beach near Nai Harn swamp and hit the Swiss man’s motorbike which appeared badly damaged in photographs on the scene.

The taxi was reported by Thai media to have also crashed into an electric pole and flipped over after hitting the man’s Yamaha N-Max motorbike. No further details were given on the case so far though.

The man’s body remains at Vachira Phuket Hospital who have already contacted the Swiss Embassy and the relatives of the man to arrange repatriating his body.

SOURCE: ASEAN Now