A 65 year old cyclist was killed after a car struck her during her morning exercise in Phatthalung today, October 19. The driver told police that a tyre had burst, causing him to lose control.
Officers from Mueang Phatthalung Police Station investigated the collision involving a black sedan and a bicycle on Muang Luk Dam Road in Khok Cha Ngai subdistrict at around 6.50am. Rescue workers from Na Tom and Si Nakarin foundations also attended the scene.
Police found that the black Suzuki sedan had sustained extensive damage after hitting the bicycle and crashing into a roadside home, damaging its wall.
The driver, identified as 35 year old Chanchai, told officers he was travelling to a fresh market with his mother and daughter when the front-right tyre suddenly burst. He said he lost control of the vehicle, which struck the cyclist before crashing into the house on the opposite side of the road.
The cyclist, identified as 65 year old Suphattra, was pronounced dead at the scene. Residents told police and KhaoSod that Suphattra regularly cycled along the road in the morning for exercise.
Investigators are examining the scene and collecting evidence to establish what caused the fatal collision. The driver’s account of a tyre blowout has not yet been confirmed by police or forensic officials.
The incident follows other reported crashes in Thailand in which tyre failures were suspected of contributing to fatal accidents.
In August last year, a Myanmar national fell to his death from the Don Mueang Tollway in Bangkok after a pickup truck belonging to his company reportedly crashed into a barrier following a tyre blowout.
In May last year, a pickup carrying a family of five reportedly crashed into an electricity pole in Kanchanaburi after a tyre burst. Three people died, and the others sustained serious injuries.
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