PHUKET: A Russian woman tourist is among six dead on Phuket's roads in a New Year that has already turned to tragedy on the island.
After four days, the toll has exceeded the four deaths in the complete Seven Days of Danger last Phuket high season.
Motorcycle riding Russian Kireeva Elena, 26, died outside the Sukko Spa in Chao Fa Road West, when she was killed instantly in a collision with a pickup at 6.40pm on New Year's Day.
Although New Years' Eve passed without a death, 2012 quickly took up where 2011 left off across Phuket with 52 crashes and 55 people admitted to Phuket hospitals as a result.
Police attributed 20 (28.17 percent) of the crashes to speed, 11 (15.49 percent) to drink driving and eight (11.26 percent) to poor overtaking.
Expats have figured disproportionately among this year's Phuket New Year toll and in other recent deaths, mostly involving motorcycles.
The first three days of the Thailand-wide safety campaign - the tally after four days is still being compiled - have seen 165 lives lost and 1782 injured from 1605 road accidents, the Road Safety Centre reported.
The national tally was boosted by a crash in which 12 mourners on the way to a funeral in Buri Ram were killed when their pickup was struck by a bus.
After four days, the toll has exceeded the four deaths in the complete Seven Days of Danger last Phuket high season.
Motorcycle riding Russian Kireeva Elena, 26, died outside the Sukko Spa in Chao Fa Road West, when she was killed instantly in a collision with a pickup at 6.40pm on New Year's Day.
Although New Years' Eve passed without a death, 2012 quickly took up where 2011 left off across Phuket with 52 crashes and 55 people admitted to Phuket hospitals as a result.
Police attributed 20 (28.17 percent) of the crashes to speed, 11 (15.49 percent) to drink driving and eight (11.26 percent) to poor overtaking.
Expats have figured disproportionately among this year's Phuket New Year toll and in other recent deaths, mostly involving motorcycles.
The first three days of the Thailand-wide safety campaign - the tally after four days is still being compiled - have seen 165 lives lost and 1782 injured from 1605 road accidents, the Road Safety Centre reported.
The national tally was boosted by a crash in which 12 mourners on the way to a funeral in Buri Ram were killed when their pickup was struck by a bus.
One more bad accident happened just after 8 pm between Patong and Karon, downhill after Centara Villas. One car, a pick-up truck, and a motorbike collided. Only one lane was passable for quite a while. Looked quite bad.
Posted by Fritz Pinguin on January 2, 2012 13:00