A British tourist was killed and another seriously injured after their scooter crashed into the back of a garbage truck on a Thai island.
A 36-year-old man and his friend, 30, are believed to have been drinking at a local bar on the island of Koh Samui before trying to ride back to their hotel in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The two men are believed to have plowed the white Honda scooter into the back of the yellow garbage truck while trying to overtake the vehicle at around 1am local time.
Police and paramedics arrived at the scene and performed CPR on the 36-year-old man for around 10 mins. But the Brit was pronounced dead after suffering a broken neck and severe head wounds.
The second man, who was driving the scooter, was taken to the Koh Samui Hospital for treatment.
Officers said that several beer cans were found in the under-seat storage compartment of the scooter and they will question the survivor once he is stable.
The garbage truck driver, 42, said he called the emergency services after hearing the two men crash into the back of the industrial waste vehicle. For the latest stories follow Bangkok Jack News on Twitter.
He said: ‘At the time of the incident, my crew and I went out to collect trash in the Chaweng beach area and were heading to the garbage disposal plant. Suddenly there was a loud noise at the rear wheel while making a turn.
‘So we parked and went down to look. I saw that a motorcycle had crashed and found two tourists injured. I immediately called the police and informed them of what happened. I am very sorry.’
The two men are believed to have plowed the white Honda scooter into the back of the bright yellow garbage truck while trying to overtake the vehicle as made a turn on a dark narrow road at around 1am local time
Officers said they found cans and alcoholic drink bottles under the motorcycle’s seat. Police believe that the tourist may have been drinking at nearby bars before returning to their accommodation.
Lieutenant Colonel Chatchavil Nakmousik said: ‘From the initial investigation, we found that the two vehicles were traveling in the same direction. The garbage truck was in the front.
‘The rider tried to overtake the garbage truck but was not able to, leading to a collision. We will summon the truck driver and also the injured tourist for questioning. We will also be checking through the CCTV.’
Thailand has one of the world’s worst road safety records, with dozens of tourists and ex-pats being killed every year on the roads.
In June, Canadian Christian missionary Marine Scott, 49, was killed instantly after being hit by a pick-up truck while cycling in Kanchanaburi.
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.
