- The retiree was heading home in heavy rain when the crash happened in Pattaya
A British retiree was killed in a head-on crash with an electricity post in Thailand after another driver shouted at him and overtook him in a road rage incident, according to local reports.
The 57-year-old was riding home on a scooter during heavy rain when the collision happened in Pattaya in the east of the country shortly before 11pm on Tuesday.
Onlookers said the man had been arguing with a food seller in a motorcycle sidecar as they both whizzed along the road.
CCTV shows the Briton losing control of his scooter before skidding across the road in a hail of sparks and smashing into the concrete post.
Paramedics arrived but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a helmet and had suffered a severe head wound.
Police said the victim’s Honda Air Blade motorcycle (pictured) was damaged, with debris scattered on the road
Onlooker Panithan Chandee, 27, said that ‘before the crash happened I noticed there was an argument’ between the motorcyclist and the food vendor, who he said had a trailer.
Mr Chandee said the pair had been riding alongside each other when the other driver shouted at the Briton.
‘I saw the food vendor overtake the man on the motorcycle and then there was a big crash. He hit the electricity pole and I called the emergency services,’ the witness said.
Police Lieutenant Siriyaporn Kongphetsak, who is leading the investigation by the Nong Prue Police Station, said the victim’s Honda Air Blade motorcycle was damaged, with debris scattered on the road.
She added: ‘Officers have taken pictures of the scene as evidence along with CCTV footage from cameras, that could capture a few seconds of the crash.
‘The body of the deceased has been moved to a hospital for a post-mortem examination and will be waiting for relatives to collect for a funeral.’
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, poor enforcement of existing road laws and a lack of education about highway safety have prevented progress from being made.