Young German couple pushing a toddler in a stroller struck by speeding pickup at a zebra crossing in Khao Lak. Both parents were critically injured and rushed to ICU as the baby escaped harm. Tragedy sparks urgent Thai road safety crackdown amid tourism concerns.
A young German couple, parents to a toddler, were blown off a road in Phang-nga on Tuesday evening. At length, it was another tragedy at a Thai zebra crossing. The young Germans in their early thirties were reported to be seriously injured and taken to the intensive care unit at Khao Lak Hospital in the beautiful Takua Pa district of the province. The couple were walking their baby in a stroller when they were catapulted into the air by a speeding pickup. It comes under two weeks after a French man was killed crossing a zebra crossing in downtown Kanchanaburi on April 2nd.
Phang-nga authorities were scrambling this week to improve road safety following a devastating accident in Khao Lak on Tuesday. The incident happened at approximately 5 pm at a Zebra crossing near Bang Niang Beach in the Takua Pa district of the province.
In brief, a German couple and their young baby in a stroller were crossing the road. Initially, a vehicle slowed down to let them pass.
However, as they advanced beyond this vehicle at the road crossing, they were struck by a pickup truck.
German couple struck by a pickup truck at zebra crossing while pushing a stroller in Khao Lak incident
The pickup truck, a modified passenger vehicle, was travelling at high speed when it collided with the family, throwing both parents violently into the air. The dashcam footage revealed that the vehicle failed to slow down despite the other car stopping to allow the family to cross. This footage was posted by Phang-nga Tourism Business Association President Lertsak Ponklin, who has since warned that the crossing is busy and used daily by many people.
Later, police confirmed that this vehicle was travelling at speed. The driver of the modified passenger vehicle was a 60-year-old man identified as Mr. Choei.
The dashboard footage showed the exact time of the incident was 5:03 pm.
Certainly, it confirmed that both young parents were thrown into the air after being impacted by the pickup. Meanwhile, the baby stroller with the infant rolled over to the other side of the road. The baby was reported to be one year and eleven months old.
Local business leader urges caution and highlights weekly danger at Bang Niang zebra crossing
“Please slow down and stop when you see people crossing the road. No one deserves to die,” Mr. Lertsak said in a social media message. “The tourists just want to take their families to visit here. Tourists should also look carefully before crossing the road.”
Following the crash, police arrested the driver of the pickup at the scene and charged him with reckless driving causing injury. The vehicle’s speed and failure to yield were noted as key factors. According to Police Lieutenant Pratcha Ma-aekian of Khao Lak Police Station, the zebra crossing is located along Phetkasem Road, a stretch between Thai Mueang and Takua Pa districts where speeding is a persistent issue.
Afterwards, onlookers attended to the two seriously injured parties at the scene. They were later identified as 34-year-old Phillip David Lothar and his 32-year-old wife, Linda Raub. The child was identified as Fiete Raub.
Mr. Lertsak said he was unaware whether the lights at the zebra crossing were functioning.
Parents transferred to Phuket ICU after being thrown in the air while baby escaped uninjured in Khao Lak
Subsequently, the German family was taken by ambulance to Khao Lak Hospital. Both parents were immediately admitted to the intensive care unit.
On Wednesday, Lertsak gave an update confirming that the child had escaped uninjured and remained conscious throughout. The seriousness of the parents’ condition, however, meant they were quickly moved. They were taken from the intensive care unit at Khao Lak Hospital to Bangkok Hospital Phuket. The local government, acknowledging the potential reputational harm to tourism, has pledged full legal accountability.
This tragedy came less than two weeks after a 40-year-old French man was fatally struck by a speeding car at another Thai zebra crossing.
This incident occurred in Kanchanaburi at approximately 10:50 pm on April 2nd. The horrifying incident took place on a quiet stretch of road in the main town of the province.
On that occasion, the French man, Mr. Clementine, was hit by a car travelling at high speed. Despite attempting to evade the vehicle, he sustained severe physical injuries. He succumbed shortly after arriving at Paholpolpayuhasena Hospital.
Second fatal zebra crossing accident in two weeks prompts scrutiny of Thai pedestrian safety standards
As with the recent case in Khao Lak, authorities acknowledged that lax enforcement and lack of driver discipline at pedestrian crossings were central issues.
It was yet another tragedy at a Thai zebra crossing, which are particularly hazardous for both Thais and foreigners. However, they pose a more significant risk to foreign visitors.
Zebra crossings are typically more strictly observed by motorists in Western countries, especially in Europe.
They are, in particular, a problem in Thailand. Indeed a death trap for unsuspecting foreign visitors who, as in Western countries, view them as a safe crossing zone. In Thailand, they are certainly not.
On Thursday, a high-level meeting was called in Phang-nga to discuss the accident. The meeting was chaired by Phang Nga Governor Pairot Petchyuan.
At length, he ordered tough legal enforcement against the offender or anyone driving dangerously in Phang-nga.
“The province will pursue legal action decisively to demonstrate our commitment to tourist safety,” Governor Pairot said. “This incident has impacted the image of Phang Nga’s tourism, and we must act urgently and visibly to restore confidence.”
Governor pledges urgent legal action and safety reforms to restore confidence after tragic accidents
The governor urged renewed efforts to improve safety both at sea and on the roads during the present holiday season. Top officials, including Police Major General Somchai Suetotrakul of the Phang Nga Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, also attended the meeting.
Additional attendees included Vice Governor Bancha Thanu-in and Disaster Mitigation Chief Kamolchanok Chiarawiwatwong. The meeting produced several concrete safety measures, including the installation of clearer speed limit signs and the deployment of local volunteers in high-risk areas.
Significantly, a decision was made to repaint all zebra crossings in the province in red and white. It was felt that drivers were often unaware of their locations and the exact requirements.
Speed bumps and repairs to faulty pedestrian crossing lights were also ordered. Meanwhile, police enforcement checkpoints have been stepped up. Afterwards, seven speeding drivers were apprehended on the same road section where the German family were struck.
Speed bumps, repainted crossings and checkpoints among measures after German family struck in Khao Lak
Following the meeting, a fruit basket was sent to the injured tourists at their hospital in Phuket. However, hospital officials later informed the official representatives that the German man and woman were not yet able to receive them personally.
Governor Pairot also tasked the Tourism and Sports Office with assigning TAC Centre staff to coordinate emergency medical support for tourists and reinforce protocols to ensure timely treatment.
Takua Pa’s District Safety Centre has now been instructed to collaborate with local transport operators and create sustainable long-term road safety strategies. These will be implemented particularly for tourists during the high season.
Zebra crossing became an execution ground on a quiet night for a relaxed French tourist in Kanchanaburi
Tuesday’s tragic incident in Khao Lak occurred in an area with a darker history.
During the 2004 tsunami, this district accounted for 4,000 of the 5,000 deaths in Thailand, with up to one thousand of these being Western tourists, particularly visitors from Europe and Germany. The area in Phang-nga has since remained a very popular destination for holidaymakers from Europe.
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