Filipino motorcyclist dies after running over palm kernel in Phuket

A Filipino motorcyclist died yesterday morning after running over a palm kernel and losing control of his motorcycle, crashing into a traffic sign on Thep Krasattri Road in Phuket.

Officers from the Thalang Police Station and rescuers from the Kuson Dham Phuket Foundation were alerted to the fatal motorcycle accident on the Thep Krasattri Road at about 6.40am yesterday, May 27.

They rushed to investigate the scene and found a damaged motorcycle, a grey Honda Click 150i in the middle of the road. About 50 metres away from the vehicle, officers discovered the lifeless body of the Filipino motorcyclist, 38 year old Cruz Jericho Merlin.

Merlin was lying face down in a pool of blood with a major wound to his head. The wound was severe and left his brain exposed. His body was transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital for an autopsy.

Police conducted further investigation into the cause of the accident and anticipated that Merlin might ride the motorcycle at high speed before running over a palm kernel on the road and losing control of the vehicle.

Merlin then hardly hit a traffic sign on a traffic island leading to a fatal injury to his head. The palm kernel with traces of being run over was found at the scene.

This incident has sparked public outrage, with many Thai netizens demanding the removal of palm trees from the traffic island. They argue that the trees pose a safety risk to motorists, citing this as not the first accident involving the plants.

Earlier this month, a Filipina was injured when a palm tree fell on her car during a thunderstorm on the same road. The Filipina driver sustained an injury to her head but the severity of the wound was not disclosed.

A Thai woman shared her near-fatal experience of running over a palm kernel, highlighting the danger posed by the fallen fruit. Netizens are calling on authorities to prioritise the safety of motorists over decorative landscaping.