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The car after hitting and killing a Phuket pedestrian last night

Phuket Pedestrian Runs And Dies Crossing Highway

Wednesday, January 16, 2013
PHUKET: The urge to cross Phuket's main north-south highway despite the heavy traffic cost a man his life last night.

Sanya Janson, 61, ran to beat the steady stream of oncoming vehicles. But he wasn't fast enough to cross the road about a kilometre north of the Heroines Monument.

Driver Prayud Chatchaloton, heading for Phuket City along Thepkasattri Road, felt the thud as his Honda Civic collided with Khun Sanya.

It was an uneven contest. Khun Sanya was heading for the entrance to a villa across the busy highway about 9.30pm, said Captain Patiwat Yodkhan of Thalang Police Station.

He was a military veteran from Phitsanulok province, the officer said. Police took the 54-year-old driver to Thalang Police Station for questioning.

The release of road toll figures for 2012 is being anxiously awaited because no updates have been made available since April last year.

For several years until April, Phuket's Public Health department provided regular monthly updates so Phuket residents could gauge whether safety campaigns and improved road conditions were having a positive effect.

Without updates, Phuket's residents are basically unaware of whether the road toll is being reduced or increasing dramatically.

The total death toll of 119 for Phuket in 2011 was down on the 137 total for 2010 which in turn was an improvement on the 153 tally of 2009.

Injuries remain alarming, largely because of the dangers of riding motorcycles. In 2011, a total of 15,282 people on Phuket required hospital treatment.

The drownings figures for Phuket were also updated with the Phuket road toll up until April last year. In 2011, there were 40 drownings on Phuket, a setback on the 37 in 2010 but an improvement on the 57 in 2009.

Comments

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In coincidence I had just posted on my FB yesterday about tourists leaving behing their commonsense in their home country when they come to Thailand.
Pedestrian crossing are not great here but oblivious tourists blight my day by crossing dangerously.
I had one guy (tourist at a guess) yesterday walk straight out in front of my motorbike and then had the cheek to shout at me. A friend noted that he believes people leave about half of their IQ on the plane and consider Thailand as one big Walking Street...
For this Thai military veteran he unfortunately took a chance that didn't pay off RIP.

Posted by Jamie on January 16, 2013 12:34

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Wow, a lot of damage, to the car, I suspect a bit faster than 60km/h, unless there is a speed sign saying it is higher, I have only seen 60.

Posted by Reader on January 16, 2013 13:05

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@ Reader Yeah it doesn't take an expert to tell that the Honda was traveling quite fast when it hit the guy. The speed limit in that are is 90, but 150 is common.

Posted by NomadJoe on January 17, 2013 02:50

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A darkened figure emerges from the darkness on a major arterial road driver had no hope of seeing him to final moment,its certainly not low impact by the damage,the pedestrian has paid the ultimate price for the human weakness of impatience.

Posted by slickmelb on January 17, 2013 03:31

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@NomadJoe, can you tell me where you saw the 90km/h sign, I have only every seen 60.

@slickmelb, sir, he also paid the price of an ignorant driver, driving way above the speed limit and paying no attention to any hazards, e.g. the pedestrian. I know, for a fact, that to obtain a drivers license, in Australia, you need to show you are paying attention. Here they seem to have tunnel vision and are only concerned about themselves, well maybe not even for themselves.

Posted by Reader on January 17, 2013 07:50

Editor Comment:

Who is ''they,'' Reader? Do you mean Australians? Yes, ''they'' are sometimes bad drivers.

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@ed, just for you, as I think most readers understood me, "they" = thais though some expats and tourists, are just as bad. How is your carping Ed, I noticed you didn't post my comment.

Posted by Reader on January 17, 2013 10:00

Editor Comment:

Apart from the vindictive ones, all of your comments lately have been posted, Reader. Please sort out what you mean by ''they'' in future or readers might conclude you are a bigot.

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"The speed limit in that are is 90, but 150 is common."

That's a bit over the top Joe. I always drive around 90 km/h there, at that speed I overtake others and get overtaken by about 10, maybe 20 km/h.

Posted by stevenl on January 17, 2013 10:17

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I am in my self contained metal box/riding my motorbike at whatsoever speed I want and to hell with you soft machines.

Same the world over, only here, the police agree with you selfish speeding 'get outta my way' a-holes.

Posted by findlay on January 18, 2013 22:10


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