As a follow-up to yesterday's posting, "Four Swedes Killed in Auto Accident in Phuket, Driver of Truck Hit-and-Run," the driver of the six-wheeled cargo truck involved in a head-on crash that killed four young Swedes and their Thai driver has surrendered to police and is now in jail.
The driver, Muhanadyousi Jayousao, 27, walked in at Khok Kloi Police Station, the closest police facility to the scene of the crash north of Phuket, and surrendered earlier today. He confessed that his poor driving led to the deaths of the five people in the car struck by his truck . FYI: For a list of those killed, please see yesterday's posting.
COMMENT: The families of those killed in this terrible "accident" may not achieve the justice they seek in this case.
Despite fleeing the accident scene after killing five people, the driver was initially charged only with reckless driving; one can only hope that the Swedish Embassy in Bangkok and pressure from the families who lost their loved ones will generate outrage and push for serious prison time for this hit-and-run driver, who needs to be held accountable for his actions.
Unfortunately, few tourists to Phuket have any real comprehension of the risks they face when they travel there.
My advocacy for a major overhaul in traffic enforcement, new legislation on regulating commercial vehicles, the need for safe mass transportation in Phuket and a more serious approach to mandating driver competency for all drivers has generally fallen upon deaf ears.
The driver, Muhanadyousi Jayousao, 27, walked in at Khok Kloi Police Station, the closest police facility to the scene of the crash north of Phuket, and surrendered earlier today. He confessed that his poor driving led to the deaths of the five people in the car struck by his truck . FYI: For a list of those killed, please see yesterday's posting.
COMMENT: The families of those killed in this terrible "accident" may not achieve the justice they seek in this case.
Despite fleeing the accident scene after killing five people, the driver was initially charged only with reckless driving; one can only hope that the Swedish Embassy in Bangkok and pressure from the families who lost their loved ones will generate outrage and push for serious prison time for this hit-and-run driver, who needs to be held accountable for his actions.
Unfortunately, few tourists to Phuket have any real comprehension of the risks they face when they travel there.
My advocacy for a major overhaul in traffic enforcement, new legislation on regulating commercial vehicles, the need for safe mass transportation in Phuket and a more serious approach to mandating driver competency for all drivers has generally fallen upon deaf ears.
