A food delivery driver, a woman, narrowly escaped a fatal accident after falling into a construction hole in Pattaya on the evening of June 30th.
The alarming incident took place at 8:00 PM on Soi Phatthanakan 9 in the Nongprue sub-district, Banglamung district. Promptly responding to the emergency call about a motorcyclist falling into a deep construction hole during road excavation, rescue workers arrived at the scene.
Upon arrival, the rescue team encountered a sizable crowd of onlookers surrounding the 1.5-meter-deep hole. In the gap lay a damaged red Yamaha NMAX 155 motorcycle that had fallen into the hole.
Reports from local media indicated that the accident site was poorly lit, with minimal street lighting available. The only safeguards in place were some barriers and a few traffic cones around the excavation site intended for a large drainage pipe project.
The food delivery rider, Ms. Nattanicha Owat, a 28-year-old, sustained minor injuries to her neck and toes from the fall. Recounting the incident, she mentioned that adverse weather conditions with drizzling rain obscured her vision as she was concluding her deliveries.
Ms. Nattanicha shared that she failed to notice the hole due to the absence of warning signs and illumination, hitting a barrier before tumbling into the excavation along with her motorcycle.
Her protective helmet likely mitigated more severe head injuries. Expressing frustration, she conveyed uncertainty about who to hold accountable and stated her intention to lodge a complaint against the project contractor.
Local residents informed media outlets that similar accidents had occurred multiple times in the area in the past month. Despite complaints lodged with Nongprue Municipality, residents received responses redirecting them to the contractor rather than addressing the safety concerns directly.
Residents urged the project owner and relevant authorities to address the safety issue promptly to avert future accidents.
