Tesco-Lotus junction claims another victim

RASSADA: The Tesco-Lotus junction, officially dubbed the “Samkong Intersection”, claimed another victim early Tuesday morning, when a man riding a motorbike through the junction and a Toyota Hilux Vigo collided at high speed.

The motorbike rider died at the scene. His passenger suffered serious injuries.

Pol Lt Akekarat Plaiduang, duty inspector at Phuket Police Station, identified the deceased as Manas Surat, 17. “Piya Arddhumma, 18, who was riding pillion, sustained serious injuries,” he said.

“Both are from Sakhon Nakhon and came to live in Phuket and work as security guards,” he added,

“Saroj Kongkeaw, 25, was the driver of the Toyota Hilux Vigo, which still has red [new registration] license plates,” Lt Akekarat said.

He added that criminal charges have yet to be made. “We still don’t know who was in the wrong. We are checking the CCTV recording taken at the intersection,” he said.

Pol Maj Teerawat Leamsuwan, of the Phuket City Police Traffic Division, told the Gazette, “Most accidents at the Tesco-Lotus intersection are caused by carelessness and lack of driver discipline. Most vehicles involved in accidents there were being driven too fast.

“Even in the early morning, as in this incident, when there are few drivers on the roads, drivers must drive carefully and slow down at intersections,” he added.

“Following my order, the Phuket Highways Office now has the traffic lights at the Tesco-Lotus intersection operating 24 hours, but there are still accidents there,” Maj Teerawat said.

Two people died and five were injured when a Kusoldharm Volunteer Rescue Foundation truck rushing four accident victims to hospital collided with a Toyota sedan at high speed at the Tesco-Lotus intersection just before dawn on May 6.

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