British tourist survives after falling off motorcycle on Patong road
Published date: Tue, 03 Sep 2024 16:05:49 +0700
A British tourist survived after falling from his motorcycle while driving along a mountain road in Thailand.
Kevin Kelly, 62, was driving the two-wheeler along a downhill road when he lost control and crashed into a guardrail on Patong Mountain in Phuket on September 2.
The holidaymaker tumbled onto the road while his vehicle skidded forward and caught fire.
Footage shows bright orange flames engulfing the motorcycle as thick gray smoke rose from the scene.
A rescue team later arrived to extinguish the fire.
Kevin had an elbow abrasion and declined to go to the hospital.
He said he was driving to Patong Beach when the accident occurred.
Police Major Thapapon Pangpimlo of the Phuket Police Station said: 'We have taken the damaged motorcycle to the Patong Police Station and summoned the British man for questioning to determine the cause of the incident.'
Thailand has one of the world's worst road safety records. Ministers have set the goal of reducing fatalities from 32.7 deaths per 100,000 people to 12 per 100,000 people by the year 2027.
However, a lack of road safety education in schools along with notoriously easy driving tests, police failures to enforce road laws, and chronic under-investment in infrastructure, all appear to hamper the efforts.
