A motorist has come under heavy criticism on social media today (Monday) after he allegedly rammed his car into a group of students last Friday, as they were walking over a zebra crossing in front of their school in Bangkok’s Phaya Thai district, injuring three of them.
The mother of one of those injured said that she took her boy to hospital today because he was complaining of dizziness.
She said that the motorist did not stop at the crossing, even though a school official raised a red flag to indicate that the students could cross, adding however that, after the accident, the motorist did not even stop to help get the injured students to the nearest hospital, but drove straight to the Phaya Thai police station instead.
The injured students were later taken to a hospital by a teacher.
The mother also said that the motorist offered an apology for “causing a waste of time” to the students and their parents, but did not ask about their condition when they met at the police station
Altogether, 25,000 baht of compensations for medical expenses has been paid to the victims by the motorist, who promised to meet with their parents at the police station at the end of this month to discuss further compensation.
Motorists who do not stop to allow pedestrians to cross a zebra crossing are liable to a maximum fine of 1,000 baht, in accordance to the Land Traffic Act B.E. 2522 (1979).
Thailand’s roads are among the deadliest in the world, and despite a high-profile case in January in which an eye doctor was killed while walking on a zebra crossing by a police officer on a large motorcycle in broad daylight, the problem persists.
Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service