An 11-year-old girl was killed when she used herself as a shield to save her 10-month-old sister when their mother’s motorcycle crashed in Chachoengsao’s Phanom Sarakham district on Saturday morning, police said.
The mother, Suwitcha Nanoi 37, was riding her motorcycle with her five children from Ayutthaya to visit her husband in Sa Kaew’s Wang Nam Yen district when the tragic accident occurred at 6.30am on the Prachantakham-Kabin Buri road.
Pol Major Arthit Sriprat, inspector of Prachantakham police station, said Suwitcha’s eldest daughter Penpicha, died at the scene with severe head injuries as she had hit her head on the edge of the road island.
Penpicha was carrying her 10-month-old sister, Siriwal, in a baby sling at the time of accident. She apparently used her body as a shield for her sister, who was slightly injured.
Siriwal’s twin sister Pticharat, who was being carried by her mother, was severely injured. Suwithcha and her two sons, Kunakhun and Pongsakorn, who were seated between their mother and Penpicha, were only slightly injured.
Police said the mother admitted to dozing off after riding for a long time. causing her to lose control of the motorcycle.
A sad story but not a surprising one. How many times have we seen a whole family crammed onto a motorcycle and we simply shake our heads and say, “This is Thailand!”
However, it’s no joke when something like this happens. It’s time people were detained by the police for overcrowding a motorcycle. Why do they need up to a dozen officers at road blocks checking driving licences ?
It’s time police deployed officers on the road to pull in people who drive in a dangerous manner. They would still get their fines, in abundance ! Road blocks do nothing to increase road safety and these crazy drivers should be reined in by police patrolling the roads.
(Source:The Nation, Thailand)