PHUKET: Motorcycle crash victim Bryn Murfet is glad he was covered by insurance on Phuket and is now looking forward to flying back to Australia soon.
''My legs are still numb,'' he said yesterday.
A long rehabilitation lies ahead at a hospital in Melbourne. But at least the cost of major spinal and internal surgery on Phuket has been met, thanks to insurance.
Further action appears unlikely over the crash in which Mr Murfet and his motorcycle rider, Sirinya Yiamchaiyaphum, 32, were struck from behind by a tuk-tuk at Karon, on Phuket's west coast.
Photographs of the crash scene have disappeared and officers from Karon Police Station failed to interview Khun Sirinya or Mr Murfet. The tuk-tuk and the motorcycle were quickly repaired.
The crash came earlier this month about 4am on day six of the holiday the 28-year-old Aussie had been enjoying with his girlfriend, Carley Hickman, 24.
Khun Sirina, who suffered arm injuries that required extensive treatment at Vachira Phuket Hospital, was planning to drop by to see Mr Murfet today at Bangkok Hospital Phuket, in Phuket City.
Although the tuk-tuk driver's wife has also visited twice, and been ''very upset and very apologetic,'' Mr Murfet is disappointed that the tuk-tuk driver hasn't been in.
''The only time I met him was when he abused me while I was lying there, paralysed,'' Mr Murfet said yesterday.
''Even if it's still not clear who was responsible for the crash, he had no right to abuse me. I was just sitting on the back.''
More than 10 of the tuk-tuk driver's relatives visited Khun Sirina after she was discharged from hospital and urged her to take the 20,000 baht compensation offered by the tuk-tuk driver.
If the tuk-tuk driver offered compensation, it's a mystery why police not only did not lay charges but did not investigate the case.
The Aussie couple, from Warrnambool, decided not to hire a motorcycle while on Phuket because they know it's not safe.
The problem is that holidaymakers and locals often have no alternative.
''I would have caught a taxi from our resort to the 7-Eleven that morning,'' said Mr Murfet, a health and safety officer.
''But I looked around outside the resort and there were none, so I had to catch a motorcycle there and back.''
Since the crash, there's been plenty of Murfet family support with his mother, sister and now an older brother flying to Phuket to help.
Mr Murfet's key piece of advice: ''Be careful.''
He added that he was disappointed not to hear from the tuk-tuk driver: ''An apology direct from him would have been nice.''
''My legs are still numb,'' he said yesterday.
A long rehabilitation lies ahead at a hospital in Melbourne. But at least the cost of major spinal and internal surgery on Phuket has been met, thanks to insurance.
Further action appears unlikely over the crash in which Mr Murfet and his motorcycle rider, Sirinya Yiamchaiyaphum, 32, were struck from behind by a tuk-tuk at Karon, on Phuket's west coast.
Photographs of the crash scene have disappeared and officers from Karon Police Station failed to interview Khun Sirinya or Mr Murfet. The tuk-tuk and the motorcycle were quickly repaired.
The crash came earlier this month about 4am on day six of the holiday the 28-year-old Aussie had been enjoying with his girlfriend, Carley Hickman, 24.
Khun Sirina, who suffered arm injuries that required extensive treatment at Vachira Phuket Hospital, was planning to drop by to see Mr Murfet today at Bangkok Hospital Phuket, in Phuket City.
Although the tuk-tuk driver's wife has also visited twice, and been ''very upset and very apologetic,'' Mr Murfet is disappointed that the tuk-tuk driver hasn't been in.
''The only time I met him was when he abused me while I was lying there, paralysed,'' Mr Murfet said yesterday.
''Even if it's still not clear who was responsible for the crash, he had no right to abuse me. I was just sitting on the back.''
More than 10 of the tuk-tuk driver's relatives visited Khun Sirina after she was discharged from hospital and urged her to take the 20,000 baht compensation offered by the tuk-tuk driver.
If the tuk-tuk driver offered compensation, it's a mystery why police not only did not lay charges but did not investigate the case.
The Aussie couple, from Warrnambool, decided not to hire a motorcycle while on Phuket because they know it's not safe.
The problem is that holidaymakers and locals often have no alternative.
''I would have caught a taxi from our resort to the 7-Eleven that morning,'' said Mr Murfet, a health and safety officer.
''But I looked around outside the resort and there were none, so I had to catch a motorcycle there and back.''
Since the crash, there's been plenty of Murfet family support with his mother, sister and now an older brother flying to Phuket to help.
Mr Murfet's key piece of advice: ''Be careful.''
He added that he was disappointed not to hear from the tuk-tuk driver: ''An apology direct from him would have been nice.''
If the police failed to investigate then surely the DSI should investigate the police. This smacks of corrupt police, isn't that why the DSI are here?
Posted by DSI Watch on August 27, 2013 14:40