Teenage motorcyclist killed by lorry driver while parked at red light

A 10-wheel truck driver yesterday crashed into and killed a teenage motorcyclist waiting for a red light to turn green on the Surat-Nasan Road in the southern province of Surat Thani.

The fatal accident occurred at a traffic light intersection on the Surat-Nasan Road and was reported to Khun Talay Police Station at noon yesterday, August 19. The police subsequently alerted the Nithi Kuson Stattha Rescue Foundation to investigate the scene together.

According to a SiamRath report, a black Yamaha motorcycle belonging to the victim was found near the traffic light pole, while the lifeless body of 17 year old Pailin was discovered 10 metres away from her vehicle.

Pailin was wearing a student uniform and her school bag was found nearby. She had been run over by the truck, suffering fatal head injuries that caused her to die immediately. Rescuers found a document in her bag granting her permission to leave school early.

The 10-wheel gas truck was parked 20 metres away from Pailin’s body. The truck driver claimed that he was descending from a bridge at speed and was unable to stop the vehicle at the red light.

Police revealed that Pailin had left school early to visit her uncle at a hospital. She was riding her motorcycle to the hospital alone and had stopped at the intersection, waiting for the traffic light to turn green.

SiamRath reported that nearly 500 car accidents have occurred at this location in the past three years. As a result, local traffic police have imposed a speed limit of 45 kilometres per hour for trucks and public buses, and 60 kilometres per hour for cars and motorcycles. However, many truck drivers have violated this law, contributing to the continued high number of accidents at the spot.

In a related report two weeks ago, a motorcyclist ran a red light in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen and crashed into a taxi. The motorcyclist was killed at the scene, while his passenger was seriously injured.

Another similar incident occurred in the Isaan province of Nakhon Phanom when a Laotian SUV driver ignored a red light and crashed into the sedan of a Thai family. A pregnant Thai woman and her unborn baby were killed at the scene, while others involved in the accident were severely injured.