Foreign woman killed in motorcycle crash with van on Phuket's Patak Road

A foreign woman was killed and a man was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash with a van on Patak Road in Karon, Phuket, at about 8pm on Wednesday, May 6. The collision happened on a curve near the Holiday Inn hotel, where the motorcycle crossed into the opposite lane and hit an oncoming van head-on, according to video of the incident shared on Thai social media on May 7.

Video shows motorcycle lose control on Karon bend

The footage showed a foreign couple riding at high speed before the motorcycle lost control on the curve. The female passenger was thrown into the air and landed at the roadside, while the male rider was thrown onto the road.

The Phuket Times Facebook page reported that the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The man’s current condition and the identities of both people have not been disclosed.

Social media criticism follows latest fatal road crash

Comments posted after the video circulated focused on motorcycle use by foreigners, with some users alleging that inexperienced riders rent bikes and use public roads to practise or drive at speed. Others directed criticism at rental operators, accusing them of putting profit ahead of safety.

The crash follows several other serious motorcycle incidents reported on the island this year. In January, a Turkish rider died after colliding with two vans on Patak Road while reportedly turning into a small alley.

Another foreign man died in Kathu in January after losing control and hitting a guardrail. In March, a foreign woman was involved in a fatal crash in Chalong when a pickup hit a Thai motorcyclist, and a Ukrainian man injured in that collision was reported in April to be in severe condition and in urgent need of blood donation.

Source: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/foreign-woman-killed-in-head-on-motorcycle-crash-in-phuket