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[sriracha john]

The death toll bumped up... with more possible as 9 others are critically injured...it was one those double-deckers with such a high center of gravity... the fleeing driver was caught and more about the cause of the accident...


Ten killed, dozens hurt in chartered bus crash

Ten people were killed and dozens injured when a two-decker bus overturned on a sharp curve in Sangkhla Buri district yesterday, police said. The chartered bus was carrying mourners who were to attend the cremation of Phra Khru Kanchanasitthisarn, the late acting abbot of Wat Wang Wiwekarama in Sangkhla Buri, when it overturned on the downhill curve of Kanchanaburi-Sangkhla Buri road in tambon Nong Lu. Eight passengers were killed instantly and two others was pronounced dead at hospital. Nine injured passengers are in critical condition. Driver Papatras Saengthon, 57, fled the scene but was arrested later while boarding another bus. He told police that the accident took place while the bus was following a 10-wheel truck downhill. The truck suddenly stopped at the curve and the bus crashed into its rear. Mr Papatras lost control of the bus which fell down the slope, crashed into roadside barriers and overturned.

Continued here:
http://www.bangkokpo...2008_news06.php

Edited by sriracha john, 2008-01-27 23:08:22.

[Flatouthruthefog]

nothingleftbutfaith, on 2008-01-27 07:52:25, said:

PadThaiGuy, on 2008-01-27 07:12:11, said:

Bus drivers in Thailand drive like idiots.
Suprised this doesn't happen every day.

Thai bus drivers are idiots.

Wrong. This is a dangerous generalisation. 15 years ago MANY Thai bus and trick drivers were idiots. Now, among the survivors, there are only SOME.
The man at the wheel of this sadly sounds to be one.
Thai bus drivers used to be (maybe some still are) under ORDERS by their employers to flee the scene of a big accident to try to ensure that the insurers pay up. To help the man escape, they were under orders to carry a drivers licence using a false name and address so they were unlikely to be traced. Their jobs were held open for them (if they complied) and they would be re-employed when they re-appeared. Provided they had A NEW false name and address of course!
There are still rogue bus operators behaving like this and if there was any value placed on the life of 'low class' Thais around here (those who have to travel by bus), the government would have cleaned this up long ago. No chance under the new gang in charge now, I fear.
Last and not least, when WILL the press (and I mean the English language press) report that the DRIVER lost control? We are told that "The bus lost control......."!!
No it bloody well didn't. It's an inanimate object. And thus FAR more responsible than the driver on this tragic occasion!!
Ends rant.

[sriracha john]

Flatouthruthefog, on 2008-01-27 23:25:33, said:

Last and not least, when WILL the press (and I mean the English language press) report that the DRIVER lost control? We are told that "The bus lost control......."!!
No it bloody well didn't. It's an inanimate object. And thus FAR more responsible than the driver on this tragic occasion!!

Associated Press:

The accident occurred after the driver lost control of the bus in Kanchanaburi province.

http://ap.google.com...abCcPwD8UDDB1G0

=============================

Canadian Press:

They say they're investigating whether the crash was caused by a break failure or by negligence from the driver.

http://canadianpress...XSGg2DJyJ1nHnVQ

[sriracha john]

Confirmation of the increased death toll...


10 killed in bus plunge

Eight women and two men were killed and 26 injured yesterday when their chartered coach drove off a sharp downhill curve in Sangkhla Buri district on its way to a monk's funeral.

At 7am the bus lost control while negotiating the "1,000-Corpse Curve" on the Thong Phaphume-Sangkhla Buri Road. Eight passengers died inside the bus, one on the way to Pahol Polpayuha Sena Hospital and the last one at the hospital.

The driver, Prapasrat Saengthon, 57, fled but was caught in the afternoon on a Bangkok-bound bus at a checkpoint in Muang Kanchanaburi.

Prapasrat said a 10-wheel truck had slowed down at the curve so he had tried to brake but the brakes had not worked. The bus hit the truck's rear and overturned. "I'm willing to face all consequences of this accident," he said.

- The Nation

[Scott]

Hmmm....once he's caught, he's willing to face all consequences.  How very brave of him!  I hope the bus owner is willing to face some consequences as well.

[leebeeUK]

In my 9 months in Thailand, I've been in 2 coaches where the driver could be clearly seen shuffling endlessly and using 'props' like a duster to clean his steering wheel over and over and also messing endlessly with his dashboard switches...  I got so scared the first time I saw this (and noticed the bus 'drifting') that I was actually looking for and mentally planning escape routes/procedures for use in the 'inevitable' crash and even how quick I might be able to get to the wheel if he suddenly slumped sideways!!!  Never happened thank God, but the next time I went long-distance - by necessity - the driver started off equally ill-prepared and over-fatigued for the job, and after only a few minutes I was waiting simply for the next stop so that I could just get off and make my own way to my destination, at least in one piece.  However, before this happened, the driver suddenly seemed to wake up, sat up straight and continued on now steady and unwavering. Don't know what the booster or pick-me-up he'd had but needless to say, he took 'something'.  I've taken other buses, before and since, as I don't have other transport, usually with little apparent problems or worries, but this is scary stuff... condolensces to the families of everyone involved in any of these 'accidents'...