Three die in motorcycle accidents

PHUKET TOWN: Three people were killed in three separate motorcycle accidents early this morning. Pol Capt Pairin Jamjumrat of the Phuket Town police station told the Gazette that the accidents all occurred during heavy rains at around 4 am. The first crash occurred in front of the Tourism Authority of Thailand office on Phuket Rd. Sompornrat Pinprasert, 16, and Mala Rachai, 30, were passengers on a motorcycle driven by Apichate Waisit, 26. “It was raining very hard at the time, so K. Apichate had lowered his head to duck the downpour. He looked up and saw that they were right in front of a Mazda pick up truck parked on the side of the road, but it was to late to avoid it,” said Pol Capt Pairin. The three were taken to the Wachira Hospital where K. Sompornrat died in the emergency room. K. Apichate and K. Mala are still in hospital with serious injuries. The second incident happened on Rassada NuSorn Rd when Worawut Niewpueng, 21, was riding his motorcycle down the hill at what police say was very high speed. He lost control and fell into an open drain along the side of the road, smashing his head on the concrete. K. Worawut was taken to Wachira Hospital where he was pronounced dead an hour later. The third accident occurred when a man driving a motorcycle ran into a car parked on the side of Wichitsongkram Rd. “The dead man had two passengers: Akawit Promtong, 19, and Poowanont Kraitong, 20. The driver and both passengers were drunk,” said Pol Capt Pairin. The driver, as yet unnamed, died later at Wachira Hospital. K. Akawit and K. Poowanont were severely injured and remain unconscious in the hospital. None of the victims was wearing a helmet, according to the police.