Tourism News

Tourism News Phuketwan Tourism News
facebook recommendations

NEWS ALERTS

Sign up now for our News Alert emails and the latest breaking news plus new features.

Click to subscribe

Existing subscribers can unsubscribe here

RSS FEEDS

Police rescue the wayward American motorist from an angry crowd last night

American Woman Creates Chaos in Wrong Way Crash in Pattaya: Police Shoot Out Tyres

Monday, April 6, 2015
PHUKET: Police shot out three tyres to stop a young American woman who drove the wrong way down a street in Thailand's holiday city of Pattaya, crashing into motorcycles and injuring at least two people last night.

The woman, a blonde named Samantha, 29, had to be saved by quick-thinking police as a mob gathered on the street, incensed by the chaos and damage she had caused.

She kept driving despite the erratic manner of her progress. Then she locked herself in the vehicle. Officers had to break a window to open a door and remove her.

The American woman screamed loudly after wreaking the damage and was handcuffed and driven off in the back of a police pickup about 5.45pm.

Among the angry crowd was a woman who was struck in a leg and taken to hospital for treatment, one of two people admitted. Her young son narrowly escaped injury.

''It was a crazy bit of driving,'' one police officer said. ''The American woman struck a motorcycle going the wrong side down the road then kept going. She turned a corner and kept hitting other vehicles, 13 at last count.''

The hit-run incident came in Siam Country Club soi, a one-way road.

Thais drive on the left side of the road and it's possible the American woman may have become disoriented.

Comments

Comments have been disabled for this article.

gravatar

Why mention she is blonde?


Sounds a bit derogatory.

Posted by Tbs on April 6, 2015 10:53

Editor Comment:

Only in your imagination, Tbs. If she had been bald-headed, we would have said so. It helps readers identify her in the photos.

gravatar

As an American I feel embarrassed for her wrong doings and hereby apologize for her actions. I've been driving in Thailand for years and haven't had a single accident. Lucky? No. I never drink while or before driving and I obey all the rules.

Posted by Donald Jackson on April 6, 2015 12:26

Editor Comment:

There is no suggestion that alcohol was a factor in this case. Sharing a country with others is something we all suffer from. Feeling embarrassed may be sign that you worry about your nationality too much.

gravatar

@Donald, unless requested to do so, you have no right to apologise for this lady, or anyone else for that matter. What worries me more is the fact the police actually fired shots without any due consideration as to those in the area.. I would be shocked, in fact all of Australia would be, if the Aussie cops did the same thing.

Posted by Laurie Howells on April 6, 2015 14:14

Editor Comment:

Aussie cops appear to not be as good at shooting out tyres.

gravatar

I thought it was alright to drive head on into traffic here.I see hundreds of people doing it every day

Posted by rich on April 6, 2015 16:16

gravatar

perhaps ur not a blonde female though donald

Posted by ayjay on April 6, 2015 18:18

gravatar

I was shocked to read this story. The usa lady must have been disorientated/blacket out. She must have had a temp. 'lost of mind'. Fortunately no one lost life. Injuries are bad as well, but hopefully everyone recovers 100%. For the American lady it will be a life time trauma.

Posted by Kurt on April 6, 2015 18:26

gravatar

Editor Comment:

"Only in your imagination, Tbs. If she had been bald-headed, we would have said so. It helps readers identify her in the photos.".......Yes of course it does..i mean to say ,there must be dozens of other Americans in the pics here....NOTE: Mr Ed is never ever likely to admit when he has made a wrong judgement call...

Posted by garryj on April 6, 2015 18:45

Editor Comment:

It was, like most of what we write, something we thought about first. Readers should follow our lead. Only in the minds of people who have become overly politically perverse is the word ''blonde'' somehow perceived as meaning ''dumb blonde.'' The problem is in your head, garryj.

gravatar

When i like to know things about pattaya I will read theme local news sites.
Why I have to read this here ?

Posted by bruce on April 6, 2015 21:49

Editor Comment:

You don't have to read it here. You are free to ignore anything containing the word ''Pattaya.'' We are free to choose what what we think will interest our readers.

gravatar

Aussie cops don't need to shoot out tyres. They are equipped with "Stopsticks".Far more effective than a bullet.

"appear to be not as good"? - how do you justify that comment?

Posted by Lenny on April 7, 2015 08:00

Editor Comment:

I don't need to, Lenny.

gravatar

There is now a video on YouTube of this incident and it's unbelievable what occured and that nobody was seriously injured

Posted by Manowar on April 7, 2015 18:34

gravatar

Manowar,

I understand that she continued to drive like this ca.30 minutes, how this cane be?
And true, quite miraculous that nobody seriously injure.
However I am not sure about the lady what kind of psycho trauma she got to got on frenzy like this. Was it just overwhelming stress on driving because the left side, or it was exagrettaed , say, by some recreational drugs.
I remember on Ibiza at breakfast people were a kind of juggling with empty plates, also occasionally grasping an air in the middle of the hall when they saw their breakfast plate there. They looked on exterior absolutely normal, as those drugs, unlike alcohol, don't produce a kind of apparent manifestations.
May be smth. like this was here too, curious about tests.

Posted by Sue on April 7, 2015 23:59

Editor Comment:

There is no suggestion of alcohol or drugs being involved.

gravatar

Sue, the video available on line appears to be the latter part of the incident as the tyres are already blown. From what has been published, she hit 12 and in another article 13 other vehicles. Just in this video you can see at least 10 vehicles being hit.
So based on this it would appear that during the initial part of the incident she may have hit a few vehicles driving against the traffic flow and the video we see is the final stages.
It also appears that she has her foot hard on the accelerator as the tyre rims are spinning on the deflated tyres.
Whether this is caused by panic of having her car tyres shot at, or by some other influence or a combination of both is unknown.
The whole incident as per the video and the various published articles does not appear to be a logical reaction to what was initially just an incorrect turn or driving on the wrong side of the road. Other issues may or may not provide these answers when and if released.

Posted by Manowar on April 8, 2015 06:33

gravatar

Manowar,

yes, she is clearly distressed.

To pay all damages should already be a hefty bill, and restorative justice indeed is more appropriate here.

Provably she is lucky that she is in Thailand - as a part of culture is if one indeed didn't have a malicious intent, then attitude to a wrongdoing is if not comforting then excusing - that is what provably happened here with police when they observed she genuinely overstressed , and didn't indicted her, however they could.

Posted by Sue on April 8, 2015 07:03


Thursday March 28, 2024
Horizon Karon Beach Resort & Spa

FOLLOW PHUKETWAN

Facebook Twitter