Two French people tragically lost their lives when their motorcycle hit a road divider in Phuket, southern Thailand, on Friday, May 24.
This tragedy should remind us that Thailand's roads are the greatest danger in the country, it is important to wear a helmet, have insurance and never rent a motorbike if you do not have the necessary experience.
See: Why are Thailand's roads among the deadliest in the world?
The accident occurred on a bend on the Anusawari-Ban Pa Khlok Road in Thalang district, near a turn at the Heroines Monument roundabout in Phuket .
Officers from Thalang police station and rescuers from the Kusol Dham Foundation rushed to the scene after receiving a notification from a local motorist at 4:40 a.m.
Upon arrival, officers found a damaged motorcycle, a black Yamaha TMAX, on the side of the road.
The vehicle was new and had a red license plate.
About 50 or 60 meters from the motorcycle, officers discovered the body of a foreign national, later identified as 41-year-old French national Alexandre Serge Robert.
On the other side of the road, police found the body of another Frenchman, Michel Sébastien Robert, 39.
He suffered multiple injuries all over his body and his left leg was severed by the impact of the crash.
Police told Matichon newspaper that Alexandre and Michel were working at their office near the Thai Thao Kasattri and Thao Si Sunthorn monuments before the accident.
According to Matichon, one of the two men's wives asked them to go home because it was getting late.
They then returned home on motorbikes at high speed, Michel as the driver and Alexandre as the passenger.
Due to the high speed, Michel lost control of the motorcycle on a bend and hit a road divider.
The impact caused Michel to collide with an electric pole, while Alexandre was thrown to the other side of the road.
Their bodies were transferred to Vachira Hospital in Phuket for an autopsy and pending legal procedures at the French Embassy in Thailand.
Officers will review CCTV footage from the scene and surrounding areas to confirm the cause of the crash and investigate whether other vehicles were involved.
Our deepest condolences to the families of the victims.
See also:
Tourist's double punishment in Thailand after motorcycle accident
Many roads in Thailand are dangerous for motorbikes
10 Tips for Riding a Motorbike in Thailand
Source: Bangkok Post
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4 comments
2 French people “die”, one French person “dies”.
Thanks for the report Philippe!
I keep hearing the sounds of a motorcycle going at high speed all the time.
As if you had to go fast and make noise in Thailand with your big car or your big scooter.
The roads are dangerous for many reasons, which I won't list in detail...
As long as motorcyclists do not ride at a reduced speed and slowly according to the conditions, accidents will occur.
Sad reality. Mentalities need to change.
Given the late hour (or very early depending on your judgment – 4:40 in the morning), the violence of the accident and the state of the 2 victims after the impact, it is very likely that these 2 young men, who had apparently just acquired this new powerful motorcycle (with a temporary red license plate from the motorcycle dealer) and who were riding at (too) high speed, had decided to work all night at their workplace, at their office before returning home where their wives were waiting for them.
The autopsy that will be carried out on the bodies will tell us more about the circumstances of this tragic accident with its fatal outcome, and in particular whether these two men in the prime of life had, shortly before getting back on the road, consumed more alcohol or chemical substances than was reasonable in order to stay awake all night... Will the police delve deeper into the wives' testimonies regarding the usual working hours and other nocturnal habits of their respective partners?
Or is it simply a driver error, unaccustomed to driving this new motorized vehicle that he had just recently acquired?
Clarification of the circumstances of this double fatal accident and the continuation of this investigation by the police in order to determine the exact causes of the tragedy seem to me to be a duty towards the bereaved families.
A sad end to the lives of these two men who, with a more prudent attitude, adapted to the circumstances of responsible night-time driving, could have avoided ending their existence on this earth at an age when all hopes of professional success and family life are coming true.
What a shock for their families!!!