News Forum - Canadian woman was killed by a truck in Kanchanaburi

[Thaiger]

A truck driver has been charged with negligent driving after allegedly killing a Canadian cyclist on Saturday. Pickup truck driver Chaiwat Chutoh hit Marnie Scott while she was out cycling with her husband, Joseph, on a bypass in Muang, a district in central Thailand’s Kanchanaburi province. The mother of two was killed instantly while trying to change lanes to do a U-turn. Her 50 year old husband managed to avoid the truck. The 49 year old woman was pronounced dead at the scene by a doctor from Paholpolpayuhasena Hospital. The woman’s husband, Joseph, stated that the pickup truck was driving […]

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[Guest1]

55 minutes ago, Thaiger said:

. The mother of two was killed instantly while trying to change lanes to do a U-turn. Her 50 year old husband managed to avoid the truck

I am hardly known to take side of Thai pick up drivers, but this sound like a lot of fault lays in the biking lady U-turning 

Thinking on the Chinese woman, killing the 83 years old, then the 83 years old is 100% at fault, huu?

A kickbike, wanting to do an u turn? You better dont do that by getting straight from the bank into the two driving lanes without letting every motorised vehicle in sight pass. Sorry, but that is self inflicted. R.i.P.

 

 

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

2 minutes ago, Transam said:

but, any driver should be reading the road ahead

And behind them. Not just drivers, but cyclists too. 

[Guest1]

12 minutes ago, Transam said:

But, I/you/we were not there, the husband was, the police seem to have charged the driver on information received, the husband..

But the husband is hardly neutral, right? And in shock! If he managed to "avoid" the Truck, how did he avoid it? Wasn't he crossing in the right lane, yet? Did he, opposite to what he said, hear the truck coming? Ok, he said, he did not hear the truck brake, but did he hear the horn, perhaps?

And, looking at the picture, the "U-turn" there, imho, for slower Motorcyclists AND Kick bikers would be the way of a pedestrian: (Get OFF the bike), look to the right, if there is no one to see, quickly get to the meridian strip, look to the left, ....

It is simple, don't get in the way of a lot quicker vehicles. Only in the western world, car drivers are forced to give biking people half of the road! And it is often even there not fully accepted!

It is sad, a life got lost, far to early. My sympathies for the family, but the truck driver just drove like to expect, like every other truck driver is driving. And it looks like he was quick, yes. But a 4 or 6 lane road qualifies minimum for 80kph. Unless there are limiting other speed signs. 80kph is assumingly 4-5 times quicker of "touring" couples around their 50's!

When in Rome, do as the Romans do! 

[palooka]

pickup truck was driving at a high speed

Surprise that one

blasted his horn and expected the cyclist to allow his truck to pass. 

Yeah right

[ThaiEyes]

Well I can’t really believe that truck was doing the speed limit for that section of road after looking at the extensive damage to the truck. Indeed rather than toot a horn, maybe better to hit the brakes hard and swerve if necessary. Tooting the horn only says you demand the right of way or you will, in this case, kill somebody. 
Sounds like this was a major F up on both parties’ parts based on the story, but someone did die and that is very tragic. 

[Marble-eye]

2 hours ago, Guest1 said:

And, looking at the picture, the "U-turn" there, imho, for slower Motorcyclists AND Kick bikers would be the way of a pedestrian: (Get OFF the bike), look to the right, if there is no one to see, quickly get to the meridian strip, look to the left, ....

It is simple, don't get in the way of a lot quicker vehicles. Only in the western world, car drivers are forced to give biking people half of the road! And it is often even there not fully accepted!

I can't argue with that, that is very good advice and exactly how I try to survive on a bicycle. I have rearview mirrors and if the road is clear behind me I'll make my move and if there are cars approaching stand on the hard shoulder untill it is clear then go for it. On many occasions I find it even safer to peddle against traffic flow rather than risking crossing. 

RIP to the lady.

[Saunk]

Good to see all the crime scene experts out in full force.

[HolyCowCm]

I know those roads there. Been there too many times and always speeding going on including the company vans I was in. By the look of the truck he serious whacked and flipped her into the air. Not surprising she passed away. But for Thailand a foreigner must think to take offensive and the defensive position fir smart prevention to stay well and alive. Since they are Missionaries, I guess they should say that God had a different plan for her and their family and they should not blame anyone and only forgive.

 

 

Edited June 21, 2022 by Faz
Image in breach of FG's removed.

[Cabra]

2 hours ago, palooka said:

blasted his horn and expected the cyclist to allow his truck to pass.

That's really the kicker here... So sad. 

[Rookiescot]

Correct me if I am wrong but did they not recently raise the speed limit on these roads?

Now I know its only for certain sections of them but given the mentality of SOME Thai drivers it appears they think the entire country has had a raised speed limit. 

Looking at the front of that truck he was not doing 90. 

[DiJoDavO]

Cyclists should really really look out the most on Thai roads. As you read in the past weeks... One moment you're riding happily, the next moment you're just gone. 

Knowing how fast some cars go on roads like these, you really should stop as cyclist and look behind. Only when there's nothing coming, get back on and cross the road. 

I'm someone who is likely to drive the same speed like Thai people do. Once I saw a pick up coming closer very very quickly. Not coming my way, but he was just switching lanes very slowly in the middle of a big road. Only had a few seconds to realize he was coming closer and that I was dealing with an idiot on the phone here, then think of what to do, look in the mirror to check if I'm able to move to the other lane around him, while keeping an eye on him coming closer very quickly. I also stepped on the brake, but realized it was too late for that. Then ending up using the horn while driving a relatively normal speed past him yelling every bad word you can think of. All these things are happening in a matter of seconds. As driver you might think you're concentrated, until someone decides to challenge you out of nowhere. 

Roads are actually pretty normal here, BUT... What makes it so dangerous is the things that suddenly pop up out of nowhere while driving fast. 

This is not to blame any of the 2, but more as a warning for anyone planning to ride a bike on Thai roads. Either try to ride in towns only and if not, ride really as close to the side as possible, because it's just asking for trouble as cars won't just start to driving slower and safer. 

RIP to the woman and good luck to the husband. I hope this will be another wake up call for people who think Thailand is bicycle friendly. On big roads, it's totally not. 

[Janneman]

Thailand has had more deaths because of road accidents than because of covid. To stop covid the government raised all kinds of hell. Lockdowns, emergency decree, you name it. To lower the deaths in traffic they, ummm, raised the speed limit?

[dbrenn]

Riding a bicycle on a Thai highway is something I'd never dream of doing - drivers just run them off the road. And I'm saying that as someone who rides motorbikes.

[Guest1]

14 minutes ago, dbrenn said:

Riding a bicycle on a Thai highway is something I'd never dream of doing - drivers just run them off the road. And I'm saying that as someone who rides motorbikes.

Was one of the reaons for me, to get a "bigger bike": No one, if I don't want that, is coming closer from  behind. In special not the busses, pushing everyone with "just 80kph" on to the hard shoulder,

[Cabra]

55 minutes ago, Guest1 said:

Was one of the reaons for me, to get a "bigger bike": No one, if I don't want that, is coming closer from  behind. In special not the busses, pushing everyone with "just 80kph" on to the hard shoulder,

It's a good strategy... Stay in front of the traffic and be a net passer as opposed to being passed. All the while driving defensively. If you don't imagine yourself as invisible (because you are to most cars), then you are not driving defensively. 

[Viggen840]

"Blasted his horn and expected them to get out of his way and he had no time to brake". The sheer arrogance of the comment indicates the level of naivete of the bulk of younger drivers in Thailand. It would not have happened with an older driver because they drive at the speed of a geriatric snail, but the younger ones are ten foot tall and bulletproof in their pickups

[dbrenn]

1 hour ago, Guest1 said:

Was one of the reaons for me, to get a "bigger bike": No one, if I don't want that, is coming closer from  behind. In special not the busses, pushing everyone with "just 80kph" on to the hard shoulder,

True - bikes must have enough power to go with the flow of traffic and get you out of trouble. 400 cc and up. Scooters are too slow, and scary when trucks are overtaking you too close and cutting in to avoid oncoming traffic, pushing you off the road. 

Bike size won't protect you from oncoming maniacs overtaking in your face though. I've had to pull over fast a few times - once when an oncoming pick up was overtaking a truck that was overtaking another truck.

Edited June 21, 2022 by dbrenn

[dbrenn]

8 hours ago, Janneman said:

Thailand has had more deaths because of road accidents than because of covid. To stop covid the government raised all kinds of hell. Lockdowns, emergency decree, you name it. To lower the deaths in traffic they, ummm, raised the speed limit?

True - on average around 55 people die every day on Thailand's roads. Every day, every year. Covid didn't come close, but the government went into hysterics about it. 

It's a funny old world.

[Saltire]

I know that stretch of road well and nothing in the world would make me do a U turn on a bicycle. Most traffic sits at 80 to 90 kmh. Have you ever tried to cross these roads on foot? It's terrifying!

As someone suggested - get off the bike and walk it to the median, repeat to the other side. Anything else is potential suicide.

RIP

 

[Viggen8408]

8 hours ago, dbrenn said:

True - on average around 55 people die every day on Thailand's roads. Every day, every year. Covid didn't come close, but the government went into hysterics about it. 

It's a funny old world.

Because of the fear factor. Much easier to 'control' the sheep if they are scared of a possibility. Dying in a traffic accident is just part of life

[Viggen8408]

8 hours ago, Saltire said:

RIP

Bicycle or motorcycle? Either way she is with the God she chose now

[Guest1]

12 minutes ago, Viggen8408 said:

Bicycle or motorcycle

Bicycle.

After looking at the source (Bkk Post), now I know how the busband escaped: He did the U-turn before his wife. Which , looking at that the pickup hit her with the left side, means, she was just on the way into the right lane, assumingly just before the U-turn, focused on following her hubby. 

This was really a unneccessary death, imho. 

 

[Viggen840]

The police are looking at other 'possible charges'... the first of those should be exceeding speed limit, but is that even in the LOS traffic statutes?