Young Englishwoman needs surgery after hit-and-run on Thai island

A 20 year old Englishwoman is seriously injured and awaiting surgery after she was struck and abandoned after a hit-and-run crash on Koh Phi Phi island in southern Thailand last week.

Ruby Spry, from Penzance in Cornwall, was driving a motorbike through the small island last Wednesday when a motorbike coming the other way drove on the wrong side of the road to overtake someone and hurled into her.

The driver didn’t stop leaving Ruby unconscious and seriously injured on the roadside.

Ruby sustained a broken collarbone, a broken wrist, four broken bones in her hand, and a broken bone protruding from her right arm in the crash.

Some locals found Ruby and took her to the hospital, where she was “refused pain relief” unless she paid 125,000 baht (£3000) upfront.

Ruby took out travel insurance but her family got the money together so that she could access some quick relief from her excruciating pain.

The trainee diving instructor underwent an urgent seven-hour surgery on her right arm and hand and now she needs a second surgery procedure on her collarbone.

However, the hospital slapped the hit-and-run victim with a 1.4 million baht bill (£34,009) which they said she must pay before her treatment continues.

In a fundraising appeal set up by Ruby’s friend Tegan, Ruby’s parents say that her travel insurance isn’t paying out.

They didn’t say why, but she said the company is “keeping us waiting” and “trying to find loopholes” as Ruby lies in hospital.

If she could, Ruby would fly to England and get the surgery for free under the NHS. However, it’s not possible to fly with her injuries.

Some of Ruby’s family has flown to Thailand to help look after her and will assist her journey home once the surgery is complete.

So far, the JustGiving appeal has raised £10,839 (450,000 baht) of the £30,000 target (1.24 million baht).

Ruby was in Koh Phi Phi training to be a diving instructor having just been offered a place as a divemaster at the University of Costa Rica.

Last month, a young Englishman was left needing urgent surgery after a moped crash on Koh Yao Noi island, sparking a GoFundMe appeal.

On Boxing Day, a young Welshman got into a motorbike crash in Koh Samui leaving him seriously injured. His sister set up a GoFundMe to raise money for his hospital bills.

On New Year’s Eve, a young British woman fell from a balcony in Koh Pha Ngan, breaking her back and sustaining several other serious injuries.

The incident sparked a huge fundraising appeal raising 3 million baht and even a fundraising event called ‘Rave For Maddi‘ in the UK.