Pattaya teen motorcyclist seriously injures pedestrian

A Pattaya teen motorcyclist seriously injured a pedestrian on Wednesday night. Rescuers rushed to the scene on Soi Bun Samphan 13 to find the victim, a 49 year old woman named Pornthip Kiatkamonchai, lying in the middle of the road. The rescuers found the rider, a 15 year old boy, with only very slight injuries.

The rescuers said the boy had hit Pornthip with his motorbike, and she lost consciousness, suffering critical head injuries. The rescuers gave Pornthip first aid before rushing her to a hospital.

After reviewing CCTV footage, the police told The Pattaya News that the boy was driving his red Honda Wave at high speed when he crashed into the Pornthip as she was crossing the road.

The impact sent the victim flying into the air, causing severe injuries.

It is unclear at this point what legal action will be taken, and whether the boy’s parents will be held responsible for the incident.

The legal age to drive in Thailand is 16 to 18, depending on the area and restrictions.

This news comes after a driver in Pattaya hit and killed a pedestrian just last month. The driver said he was driving home from work on a very dark road, and he only noticed the victim crossing when it was too late.

Last year in Thailand, an uproar was sparked over pedestrian safety after the tragic killing of an eye doctor. A Thai police officer was charged with multiple offences after his speeding Ducati bike collided with a Bangkok doctor at a zebra crossing. The charges, filed by Phaya Thai district police, included reckless driving and not stopping for pedestrians at a zebra crossing.

In February last year, a health organisation and a road safety organisation teamed up to study how many cars, motorbikes, and public vehicles stop for pedestrians at 12 zebra crossings in Bangkok. They found that altogether, 89% wouldn’t stop. For motorcycles, the rate was 92% of 6,449 motorcycles that wouldn’t stop. For cars, the rate was 86% of 7,619. For public vehicles it was 80% of 285.