Surely this can't be right ???

[Masterwoodsman]

Phuket Gazette

Thursday, October 11, 2007
Pedestrian run down, killed

RAWAI: A 10-wheeled truck mowed down and killed a pedestrian walking on a sidewalk on Saiyuan Rd last at about 3 pm Thursday afternoon, said Pol Lt Col Sanguan Muangtham of the Chalong Police.

“When police arrived on the scene they found the body of the man underneath the truck. The victim was male aged 40 to 45 years old. He worked in Phuket but was not born here,” said Col Sanguan, who declined to reveal more detailed information about the victim.

The police investigation concluded that although the truck driver had not been speeding, he was still at fault for the accident. The driver, who remained at the scene until police arrived, was taken to Chalong Police Station where he met the family of the victim, said Col Sanguan.

The truck driver told police that he had swerved to avoid a motorbike exiting a soi, but no eyewitness statements could corroborate his story, added Col Sanguan.

The body of the victim was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for autopsy and the driver will be charged with causing death by negligence, which carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years or a fine of up to 20,000 baht, said Col Sanguan.


How can 10 years imprisonment "OR" a 20,000 Baht fine be comparable when used to sentence a person for causing death by negligence.....

Errr i think i'll take the 20,000 Baht fine please !!!!

Can only hope its a Typo otherwise its ridiculous

[georgelondon]

welcome to thailand!

[K2]

Usual penalties read and/or - if he pleads guilty he will end up paying the 20K and probably something on top such as funeral costs. If he'd been farang driving - more like 500K!

[Oasis]

I wonder if any drug or booze tests have been done on the driver.

20k baht is a small fine to pay for a life, but as george said welcome to thailand

[JayBee]

Originally Posted by Masterwoodsman;

How can 10 years imprisonment "OR" a 20,000 Baht fine be comparable when used to sentence a person for causing death by negligence.....

Errr i think i'll take the 20,000 Baht fine please !!!!

Can only hope its a Typo otherwise its ridiculous

Surprising these things don't happen more often what with motabikes darting out of sidesois all the time. The shame of it is that the motabike driver might well be as responsible for his negligence as the truck driver but he walks scot free.

As for the 20K, who knows how long ago that law was passed. If it was 40 years ago, 20K might have been 5 yrs pay rather than 3 months pay.

!0 yrs would be suitable for really egregious cases, such as if he had been stinking drunk at the time.

[faultytowers]

Originally Posted by Masterwoodsman

Phuket Gazette

Thursday, October 11, 2007
Pedestrian run down, killed

RAWAI: A 10-wheeled truck mowed down and killed a pedestrian walking on a sidewalk on Saiyuan Rd last at about 3 pm Thursday afternoon, said Pol Lt Col Sanguan Muangtham of the Chalong Police.

“When police arrived on the scene they found the body of the man underneath the truck. The victim was male aged 40 to 45 years old. He worked in Phuket but was not born here,” said Col Sanguan, who declined to reveal more detailed information about the victim.

The police investigation concluded that although the truck driver had not been speeding, he was still at fault for the accident. The driver, who remained at the scene until police arrived, was taken to Chalong Police Station where he met the family of the victim, said Col Sanguan.

The truck driver told police that he had swerved to avoid a motorbike exiting a soi, but no eyewitness statements could corroborate his story, added Col Sanguan.

The body of the victim was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for autopsy and the driver will be charged with causing death by negligence, which carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years or a fine of up to 20,000 baht, said Col Sanguan.

Sounds to me as if the truck driver was also an "innocent party" in this unfortunate accident. He wasn't speeding and waited till the cops arrived , I'm sure he will have the memory of what happened etched into his mind for the rest of his life.

I am also sure that such accidents happen everywhere in the world , so this is not just a 'Thai' problem.

[Capt. Fantastic]

Originally Posted by faultytowers

...the memory of what happened etched into his mind for the rest of his life.

Count on that. I saw a 13 year old girl get killed crossing a rural street. Summer break had just started, she was out grab-assing with her best girlfriend, and... well, I flash on it at least once a week. And it happened in 2000.

The worst part is I could see her lifeless body lying in the dirt on the side of the road. The elderly couple in the car (woman driving) were holding up far better than one could expect.

It is part of life, true, but survivors pay a price also.