The Phuket Road Safety Centre announced that during the Seven Days of Danger – from the beginning of December 27 to midnight on Wednesday (January 2) – there were 23 accidents, compared with 66 in the same period last year.
Last New Year’s Eve 70 people were injured badly enough to require hospitalisation, and six died. This year, the number of injured fell to 21 but nine people died – seven Thais and two Russian tourists. Only one of the victims died while in a car. The other eight were all on motorbikes.
“The main cause of the accidents was alcohol,” an official from the Phuket Public Health Office told The Phuket News.
Asked about injuries from fireworks at New Year, she said that nothing serious had been reported in Phuket, unlike some other provinces.
The nine deaths took place as follows:
December 27: Yuthapong Tampetch, 37, from Krabi, died after his motorbike was rear-ended by a speeding truck on Chaofa East Rd at night on December 27.
Mr Yuthapong was severely injured and died later at Vachira Phuket Hospital.
December 27: Supansa Kamlungtawee, 25, from Chaiyapoom, rode her motorbike into the back of a six-wheel truck in Thalang District when the truck slowed down to park at the side of the road.
The Kusoldharm Foundation took her to Thalang hospital and she was then moved to Vachira Phuket Hospital where she died of her injuries.
December 28: Thongdech Kamhom, 40, from Sakon Nakhon, died after the motorcycle on which she was a passenger was in collision with a car close to Preuksa Seafood on Thepkrasatri Rd in Thalang District. Her husband, Pissanu Thongchamnan, who was driving, and her son Sakchai, were injured.
Neither Mrs Thongdech nor her son were wearing helmets and Mr Pissanu was found to be drunk.
December 29: Two Russian tourists, Ivan Berestnev and Ekaterina Emelyanov, from Moscow, died in Cherng Talay when they crashed their motorbike and a pickup truck ran over them, crushing their heads.
Witnesses said that the two tourists were riding “very fast” from Cherngtalay towards Baan Don. The truck was coming in the opposite direction.
As they approached one another, the driver of the bike lost control of it and it slid under the wheels of the truck.
December 31: Adul Suthisan, 44, and Pairote Hemmin, 41, died of severe head injuries when they were hit by a bus full of tourists heading for Phuket International Airport.
A witness said the two victims were riding on a motorbike from Phuket Town. The bus came up behind very fast and clipped the bike, which fell under the wheels.
It’s thought the men died instantly in the collision, but the motorbike and their bodies were dragged along by the bus for dozens of metres before it stopped.
The bus driver, finding he was unable to drive away because of the motorbike jammed underneath his vehicle, jumped out and ran away, leaving dozens of frightened passengers in the bus.
January 1: A former broadcaster with NBT TV channel, Ake Akewechakul, died of a broken neck after the car in which he was a passenger slammed into a power pole.
The Honda Accord with Satun license plates failed to negotiate the bend near the Go-Kart track in Kathu after coming down Patong Hill, and smashed into the pole.
The driver, whose name was not released, was not seriously injured. He was taken to Patong hospital. A blood alcohol test showed that he was over the legal limit.
January 2: Phuket resident Manit Srikrang, 50, died instantly when his bike went out from under him and his head hit the kerb at the side of the eastern carriageway of the main Patong-Phuket Town road, opposite the Caltex station in Kathu. The crash took place at 11 am.
Pol Capt Watthanathorn Bamruntin of Thung Tong Police Station told The Phuket News, “Witnesses said he was driving very fast when he lost control and fell. The bike collided with a car while he slid across to the edge of the road, hitting the kerb head-first.”
“We found his helmet not far from the accident site, so we are not sure whether he was wearing it or not.”