British boxer critically injured after falling from tuk tuk in Phuket, police say

Police in Phuket are searching for a tuk tuk driver after British professional boxer Colin Kearney was found critically injured on a road in Patong, with CCTV footage reportedly showing him falling from the vehicle before it drove on.

Kearney was discovered on Phra Baramee Road on June 14. Officers from Patong Police Station and rescue workers went to the scene and took him to hospital for emergency treatment.

Investigators initially considered whether he had been assaulted and left by the roadside. Police later said CCTV footage from a nearby property showed Kearney falling from a tuk tuk, which then continued without stopping to check on him.

According to police, Kearney had travelled to Phuket with relatives and friends. On the night of the incident, he reportedly visited an entertainment venue before taking a red tuk tuk back to his accommodation at about 4am.

Security guards at the hotel told police the tuk tuk first arrived at the property, but Kearney did not have enough cash to pay the fare. The guards said he tried unsuccessfully to borrow money from staff.

They told police Kearney then asked the driver to take him to a nearby ATM to withdraw cash. The guards later saw what they believed was the same tuk tuk passing the hotel area without stopping. Kearney was later found injured on the road.

Police said he suffered a severe head injury after striking the road and remains in critical condition at Vachira Phuket Hospital.

Authorities have identified the registered owner of the tuk tuk. The owner told police he was not driving the vehicle that day and had rented it to another driver.

Police are trying to locate that driver for questioning. Investigators told local media the driver could face legal consequences if found to have driven recklessly or failed to assist an injured passenger, with any penalties depending on Kearney’s medical outcome and the findings of the investigation.