Three injured in “visa run’ smash

RANONG: One man had a leg amputated and two others required hospitalization after a minivan taking passengers from Phuket on a “visa run” collided with a water truck on November 12.

Pol Sub Lt Chatchai Pongsingto, of Ranong Town Police Station, told the Gazette that the accident happened on Paknam-Ranong Rd at about 12:20 pm.

The van, which is owned by Andaman Club Co Ltd, was carrying seven foreigners and a Thai from Phuket to the Andaman Club pier at Ranong.

Raoul Alexander Dieter Wildt, from Germany, suffered a smashed leg, necessitating amputation below the knee. He also suffered a broken rib, spinal injuries and damage to his left arm and hand. Two other passengers, both  Korean, received lesser injuries.

Lt Chatchai explained that the driver of the water truck rounded a bend in the road to find himself head-on with the minivan. Both the water truck driver and the minivan driver swerved to avoid a head-on smash, but the rear of the water truck and the rear of the minivan collided.

“The water truck suffered little damage, but the minivan was damaged at the rear left-hand side and its rear window was smashed,” he said.