The DDPM-Phuket reported that two people died in road accidents during Day 4 of the campaign, on Sunday, Jan 1 (midnight to midnight).
Patcharin Tawsanit, 24, was pronounced dead on arrival at Thalang Hospital after the motorbike she was riding went off the road, sending her into a roadside ditch in Thalang at 1:30am. Ms Patcharin was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.
Later, Chalermkiat Ongwimolkarn, 26, died after a collision with a taxi on Thepkrasattri Rd at 4:45pm. Police are investigating the accident.
In total, the DDPM-Phuket reported 16 accidents on the island during the 24-hour period.
Six were in Muang District, which encompasses Phuket Town, Kata-Karon, Wichit, Chalong, Rawai and Nai Harn.
Seven of the accidents were in Kathu District, which includes Patong, and the remaining three accidents, including the deadly crashes that killed Miss Patcharin and Mr Chalermkiat, were in Thalang District, which covers the northern half of the island.
Eight motorists were injured in Muang District, with seven more injured in Kathu and another three injured in Thalang.
One of the injured is tuk-tuk driver Suwijak Rattanaket, who was cut from the wreck of his tuk-tuk and rushed to hospital by Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers after a Mazda sedan collided head-on with his tuk-tuk on Patong Hill at 3:40am. Mr Suwijak was taken to Patong Hospital for serious injuries.
The DDPM-Phuket noted the main causes of the accidents and injuries as drunk driving, not wearing a helmet while riding a motorbike and cutting off other drivers in traffic.
Policemen reported issuing 1,212 fines for moving violations during the Day 4 24-hour period, as follows:
- 479 people fined for not wearing helmets
- 22 fined for reckless / dangerous driving
- 86 fined for not wearing seatbelts
- 386 fined for driving without a licence
- 33 fined for speeding
- 40 fined for running a red light
- 53 fined for ghost driving (driving opposite traffic flow)
- 29 fined for dangerously cutting off other motorists in traffic
- 55 fined for using mobile phones while driving.
In addition, 29 people were arrested for drunk driving during Day 4 of the campaign.
This year police in Phuket will seize the vehicles and drivers’ licenses of all people caught drunk driving. The vehicles and licences will be returned only after the Seven Days of Danger campaign has ended at midnight Jan 4. (See story here.)