PHUKET: A Phuket airport taxi driver will be charged for reckless driving causing damage to government property after he lost control of his ‘green plate’ taxi and slammed into a tree on Thepkrasattri Rd yesterday afternoon (May 30).
Lt Thitiwat Asasing of the Thalang Police was informed of the accident ‒ on the northbound lanes of Thepkrasattri Rd about 300 metres from the ‘Sala Daeng Intersection’ (the old intersection to turn off towards the airport) ‒ at about 4:46pm.
Police and rescue workers arrived to find the driver, Monsit Mapiyapan, 51, stuck in the car. He had suffered an injury to his chest from the airbag being deployed and injuries to his legs, Lt Thitiwat confirmed.
After safely recovering Mr Monsit from the wreck and administering first aid, rescue workers from the Thepkrasattri Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) transported Mr Monsit to Thalang Hospital for further medical care.
The car had suffered damage to the driver’s door from the impact with the tree, and its windshield was broken by the airbag, Lt Thitiwat explained.
Photos of the scene showed the door of the taxi bearing a sticker identifying the car as part of the fleet of taxis from Phuket Maikhao Sakhu Co Ltd, better known by their initials ‘PMK’, which is one of the cooperatives with exclusive rights to serve tourists at Phuket International Airport.
Mr Monsit is still recovering at Thalang Hospital, Lt Thitiwat noted today (May 31). “He will be charged for reckless driving and destruction of government property,” he said.
Witnesses to the accident told police that the taxi was travelling at high speed on the wet road when the accident happened, Lt Thitiwat said.
Police will not be pursuing any charges for speeding as there is no CCTV covering the section of road where the accident occurred, he said.
Additoinal reporting by Eakkapop Thongtub
