No charges filed after Phuket trailer wheel leaves motorcyclist critical
Police are awaiting the condition of a 60-year-old motorcyclist before deciding whether to charge a trailer-truck driver whose wheel struck her at Koh Kaew.
A 60-year-old motorcyclist remains in a stable but critical condition after a wheel came loose from a trailer truck and struck her at Phuket’s Koh Kaew intersection, police said.
The woman underwent surgery but has not regained consciousness, according to Pol Lt Thanatsanai Manit of Phuket City Police Station. He said her prognosis remained “50/50”.
No charges had been filed against the 40-year-old Thai driver as of Tuesday, 6 October 2026. Pol Lt Thanatsanai said the possible charge would depend on the woman’s condition, ranging from causing injury to causing death through negligence.
Alcohol and drug tests on the driver found no indication of either, he said. Although the wheel coming off could have been unavoidable, police are also considering whether the driver was negligent for failing to check the truck’s components.
Department of Land Transport regulations require trucks to undergo inspection and maintenance every six months. Police said the truck had gone more than a year without inspection, which could count as negligence by the driver.
The crash happened at about 2pm on 22 September, when the woman was waiting at a red light on her motorcycle. The impact knocked her unconscious and damaged a nearby shop and other private property.
Initial compensation for the woman’s medical expenses has been addressed, while mediation with her relatives is continuing, Pol Lt Thanatsanai said. The driver was released and has not been detained. Police said he lives and works in Phuket and can be located if required.
