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The downhill left bend that has claimed two lives in as many weeks

Phuket's Killer Bend Claims Another Crash Victim

Monday, August 10, 2009
A SHARP BEND in a road leading from Phuket City to Patong has claimed its second fatality in less than a fortnight.

A man was killed about 11am on Sunday when an ice truck failed to take the bend and ploughed into his motorcycle.

Both vehicles were on the same side of the road, travelling away from Phuket City, when they came to grief on the sharp left-hand bend between Central Festival and the Kathu junction.

Police said the driver of the truck was unable to keep the vehicle from hitting the motorcycle as the two vehicles negotiated the bend in Witchitsongkran Road.

Police Lieutenant Passakorn Sontkul, of Tungtong Police Station, said it was thought at first that the ice truck driver had fled the scene.

But it transpired that he went to report the mishap at Phuket City police station, rather that Tungtong, which is closer.

The driver has since been charged with careless driving, which was also the outcome of the first fatal crash on the bend on July 29.

At 4am on that day, a Patong-bound vehicle driven by a British expat crossed the median strip while taking the bend and collided with a barely-moving oncoming vehicle, killed the woman driver.

Lieutenant Passakorn said the British man and his male Thai companion in the car had both recovered from injuries that put them in hospital.

The expat was talking to the family of the dead woman about paying compensation, Lieutenant Passakorn said.

The road has recently been widened and resurfaced, creating the impression that the bend is safe to take at higher speed.

However, because of the perception of safety at speed, the bend is now more dangerous.

More warning signs are anticipated in the vicinity sometime soon.

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Comments

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I came upon this accident on Sunday morning, and it appeared that more than one person was killed...there was a dead body on the road covered by banana leaves and a second body covered by a tarp and noodle soup bowls. It was an awful scene...do you have any more details?

Editor: Just one fatality, police tell us. Phuketwan looks forward to a time when there are fewer case like this one. This bend in particular demands immediate attention.

Posted by Anonymous on August 11, 2009 14:53


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