At about 9.15am, Lt Col Kiatikajorn Amloy of Phuket City Police was informed about the accident south of Bang Khu Underpass (in front of SuperCheap store, opposite Shell petrol station in Baan Sapam).
Having arrived at the scene, police and staff from Vachira Phuket Hospital found Ms Ma Myint, 54, a Myanmar national, lying in the second lane of the highway unconscious. The woman was heavily bleeding from her head, nose and ears.
When medics arrived, the woman had already been receiving first help from other people at the scene. She was then taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for further treatment. Ms Myint’s current condition is unknown.
Ms Myint was hit by a Ford Everest SUV. The Phuket registered car – with ’lucky’ license plates – was at the scene, some 80 metres* from where the injured woman was found. The Everest had collision marks on its front.
The car driver, named by police only as Mr Bangmath, told police that he was heading from Phuket Town to Muslim Wittaya Phuket School located north of Bang Khu Underpass when the woman suddenly appeared in front of his Everest. Mr Bangmath said he was driving slowly and tried to avoid hitting the lady, but was unable to prevent collision.
A witness at the scene said that Ms Myint had been regularly seen in the area and is presumed to live nearby. The witness added that she used to cross Thepkrasattri Rd from time to time to visit a pharmacy on the other side. It is believed that she might be doing the same on the day of the accident and failed to notice the approaching Everest.
At the time of reporting, police were yet to decide if any charges would be pressed against Mr Bangmath.
*Photos from the scene show a much shorter distance.