News Forum - French woman dies driving bicycle in central Thailand

[Thaiger]

A young French woman was killed in a road accident in Ayutthaya province in central Thailand yesterday evening. The 26 year old tourist got confused at an intersection when a green and red light shone at the same time, leading her to drive into oncoming traffic. A man driving a sedan through the green light couldn’t break in time, striking and killing her. Officers from Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Police Station arrived at the scene alongside a rescue team to find 26 year old Camille Jeanne Gavaudan in a critical condition lying next to a broken bicycle on a zebra […]

The story French woman dies driving bicycle in central Thailand as seen on Thaiger News.

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[palooka]

Very sad.

In Thailand riding a motor bike is deadly, riding a bicycle is suicidal.

[Poolie]

What about staying at home with your feet up?

[DwizzleyMatthews]

I live in Ayutthaya and see many visiting foreigners riding round on old rental bicycles, getting from the popular tourist guesthouse area ( Soi Falang ) to the historical old city always looks like a disaster waiting to happen, many big fast moving roads to traverse.

[Loong]

Article doesn't say if they were trying to ride across the zebra crossing or walking across with the bikes.
If they were walking across the zebra crossing then the driver is definitely at fault.

[Chatogaster]

6 hours ago, Thaiger said:

 

UPDATE:

The Toyota sedan’s dashcam footage confirmed that the traffic lights were on green when the driver struck and killed 26 year old Camille, who was riding a bicycle across a zebra crossing in Ayutthaya in central Thailand yesterday evening. 

 

 

The update says they were riding across a zebra crossing, but the only true part of that is that were riding.
The zebra crossing is on the other side of the junction.

So they made the mistake of riding sideways into a traffic stream, and then one of them was sent flying towards the zebra crossing they should have made use of (walking). I won't be so harsh to call that a harsh lesson, but if I had there would have been some truth in it.

Sources: Thairath for the video, and google street view for a clear context: https://www.google.com/maps/@14.3512856,100.5759199,3a,75y,299.53h,97.74t/data=!3m9!1e1!3m7!1sTuejuM-lx-RdpUoKyMD-Uw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!9m2!1b1!2i17

 

[23RD]

RIP to this young Lady on the holiday of a lifetime and to get killed in an RTA on a push bike of all things is not the way to go for someone so young.

But it goes to show one thing in life you'll never know when your numbers going to get punched. 

[Chilli]

Two weeks ago , I tried to cross on a zebra crossing smack outside Ayutthaya main hospital. I got stuck in the middle of the crossing by a low body pickup blurting out black smoke whooshing  past  me , then followed by a minibus that hit his wing mirror with my drink as I raised my hand to try to stop / slow down please.

They dont care  , worst of the worst .

[HolyCowCm]

She got seriously creamed by the look of the bike. Never let your guard down on the roadway here. Sorry she passed away.

[Giltee]

6 hours ago, DwizzleyMatthews said:

I live in Ayutthaya and see many visiting foreigners riding round on old rental bicycles, getting from the popular tourist guesthouse area ( Soi Falang ) to the historical old city always looks like a disaster waiting to happen, many big fast moving roads to traverse.

Many speeding unlicensed Thai drivers don’t help. 

[Poolie]

If its red - stop. It wasn't.

[alex12345]

This is why we have a 30 mph limit within towns and cities in most civilized countries. I have seen drivers going at 80kph outside a school and hitting students. Motorbikes can do much less damage but Thai culture is obsessed by status so everyone must have a roll cage and a two tone exhaust which makes them feel cool as they wipe out this vast number of people every day. I've never seen  a country with such a complete lack of a second hand car industry as this one, cos of course you need a cool car and a 20,000 baht a year maintenance plan. My father has had second hand cars lasting ten years. We don't care about status we care about lives.

Edited May 26 by alex12345

[PapayaBokBok]

10 hours ago, palooka said:

Very sad.

In Thailand riding a motor bike is deadly, riding a bicycle is suicidal.

I ride mine daily around old city....had a few close calls as well......

[MrNovax]

so he hit and ran, they question and release.  i have no words

[JamesR]

9 hours ago, Loong said:

Article doesn't say if they were trying to ride across the zebra crossing or walking across with the bikes.
If they were walking across the zebra crossing then the driver is definitely at fault.

Was the zebra crossing controlled by traffic lights eg like a pelican crossing in the UK?

[Chilli]

I have lived in Ayutthaya for 15 years , this main road is very dangerous, it’s confusing, the two inside lanes are green permanently, to allow flow , the right junction has two arrows pointing right on the tarmac ( faded ) and a zebra crossing , if you use the road frequently then everyone knows whats -what , but to strangers its a guessing confusing game . The French lady would have been confusing for her , she must have seen the right lanes change to red then walked onto the zebra crossing. 
Also their is  a Police box outside the lights guarded by a plastic policeman.

Very sad loss 

[Viggen8408]

There was a lot of video on the news last night, including dashcam from the vehicle involved. Unless the video speed was increased, he was going way too fast for the conditions... and duty of care. I  KNOW that means nothing to Thai drivers, but for the police to be 'CONSIDERING' reckless driving? I will cynically put it into a simple phrase - Thai versus falang... so sorry, your fault. Sorry you died.

[Vance]

Go ahead, call cycling in Thailand suicidal if you want. Depends how, when, and where you ride. 
I feel awful for this French girl's family, but this was not safe cycling. Of course the driver appears to have been going at warp speed as well......

 

Edited June 12 by Vance
clarification

[Pinetree]

On 5/26/2022 at 5:58 PM, Chilli said:

I tried to cross on a zebra crossing smack outside Ayutthaya main hospital

Note to everyone: there are no zebra crossings in Thailand.  They may have the markings, but those markings are meaningless. 

[Poolie]

Well, you don't see that many zebras do you?