Foreign man dies in tragic Pattaya road accident: Intentional act or mishap?

The bustling city of Pattaya witnessed a sorrowful scene on Sukhumvit Road in the early hours of yesterday when a foreign man lost his life in a traffic accident. The driver of the vehicle involved reported that the man had intentionally leapt in front of his car, thereby causing the fatal collision.

Pattaya police were alerted to the incident at 12.06am yesterday, with the location of the accident being Sukhumvit Road in South Pattaya, towards the direction of Bangkok. Swiftly coordinating with a rescue team, the officers quickly made their way to the scene. Upon arrival, they found a Ford vehicle sporting Bangkok license plates standing in the centre of the road.

The car had suffered substantial damage at the front. Torsak Lopaisankrit, the 54 year old Thai man driving the vehicle, was still present at the scene when the police arrived.

Near the Ford, the police encountered the body of an unidentified foreign male, estimated to be between 60 and 70 years old. The man, who was approximately 170 centimetres tall and was clad in a yellow t-shirt and shorts, was unconscious.

He had sustained serious injuries to his arms and legs, including dislocated limbs. Despite the immediate medical assistance provided, which included resuscitation attempts, the injuries proved fatal, and the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The foreign victim had not been carrying any identification documents.

In his statement to the police, Torsak recounted the chilling events that had led to the accident. He claimed that as he was driving towards Bangkok, an object suddenly jumped in front of his vehicle right after he had passed a green traffic light. Upon realising that he had hit a person, Torsak immediately halted his vehicle and went to investigate. He then reported the incident to the police.

Picture courtesy of Pattaya News.Chaichana Chujit, a 25 year old man who had been driving behind Torsak’s vehicle, witnessed the entire incident. His account corroborated Torsak’s, as he confirmed seeing the foreign man appearing to want to cross the road, stopping abruptly, and then jumping in front of the moving vehicle.

Police took photographs of the scene as part of their evidence collection. They also intended to examine footage from the front camera of Torsak’s car, as well as from nearby CCTV cameras, to help ascertain whether the incident was an intentional act of self-destruction or a tragic accident.

The unidentified man’s body was subsequently transported to Banglamung Hospital to undergo identification procedures. The relevant authorities will then make contact with the victim’s family and his embassy.

If you or anyone you know is in emotional distress, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand 24-hour hotline: 02 713 6791 (English), 02 713 6793 (Thai), or the Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai). Please also contact your friends or relatives at this time if you have feelings of loneliness, stress, or depression. Seek help.