The accident happened at about 1:55pm on Saiyuan Rd where police arrived shortly afterwards to find a black Honda motorbike lying on the side of the road with its driver, a 70-year-old British man, lying face down on the road unconscious.
Lt Jaruwit Khuncharoen of Chalong Police told The Phuket News, “The driver of the pickup truck, Wuttichai Muangmeesri, 27, was waiting at the scene when we arrived.
“Mr Wuttichai said he was driving along Saiyuan Rd and there were two other pickup trucks behind him. He said he slowed down to turn right onto Soi Pattana and as he started to turn, the motorcycle hit the rear, right side of the truck and slid into a power pole as it tried to overtake in the oncoming lane,” Lt Jaruwit explained.
“Mr Wuttichai immediately called the ambulance.”
Mr Nattapol Kaewpraju, a Rawai Municipality rescuer worker, said, “When I arrived at the scene at 2.06pm, the motorbike driver was lying face-down on the road, unconscious, wearing a helmet.
“At 2.14pm, while awaiting the arrival of ambulance services, his pulse began to weaken so I started to administer CPR.”
Mr Nattapol continued, “An ambulance arrived at 2:19pm and we took the man to the Accident and Emergency Department of (the yet-to-be-open) Chalong Hospital before transferring him to Vachira Phuket Hospital where he died from his injuries.”
Lt Jaruwit confirmed that he has coordinated with the British Consulate to notify the man’s relatives in Britain as he does not have any relatives in Phuket.
Asked about charges, Lt Jaruwit said, “No charges have been filed against Mr Wuttichai yet as the investigation is still ongoing.”
He noted that the accident happened on a road where overtaking is prohibited.
The British man's name has been withheld by The Phuket News until his relatives have been notified.