← 返回新闻首页
泰国主流

German family members injured in Phuket after app based taxi driver lost control of car looking at GPS

GPS distraction sparks terror on a Phuket street as a white Toyota hits a food vendor and pedestrians. Six people are injured, including German children… Read More ›

thaiexaminerJames Morris and Son Nguyen查看原文 ↗

新闻视频

Anger grows over land for foreigners plan as ex-MP says Thais may face a ban in upmarket areas
Pheu Thai opposes land for foreigners as industry leader warns of abuse from Chinese speculators
Cabinet approves land rights for rich foreigners as Thailand ramps up inward investment in 2022
德国一家人在普吉岛因网约车司机看GPS导航时失去对车辆的控制而受伤。

October 20, 2026 at 11:25 pm

by James Morris and Son Nguyen

in Crime , Living , Media , Thailand

A two-year-old German girl and a seven-year-old boy were among six people injured when a white Toyota ploughed into a roadside food vendor and pedestrians in Phuket on Monday afternoon. The 53-year-old Thai driver admitted looking down at her mobile phone’s GPS navigation system moments before the crash outside a Karon hotel. Police charged her with negligent driving causing injury and property damage, despite negative alcohol and drug tests. Meanwhile, all six victims, including three German visitors, were taken to Chalong Hospital. The driver was subsequently released, with medical bills and compensation outstanding. However, police have yet to confirm whether she was operating an app-based taxi service.

Two German children, aged two and seven, are among six injured in a Phuket crash. The Thai driver, 53, admits checking GPS. Police charge her as taxi work remains unconfirmed. ( Facebook/ Khonloukhaw Charnpitak Easylife )

A Thai woman driving a white Toyota ploughed into a roadside food vendor and pedestrians in Phuket on Monday afternoon. Six people were injured, including two German children aged just seven and two.

The 53-year-old driver admitted looking down at her mobile phone’s GPS navigation system moments before the crash. Police subsequently charged her with negligent driving causing injury and property damage.

Despite testing negative for alcohol and drugs, she faces criminal proceedings over the collision. Meanwhile, all six victims were rushed to Chalong Hospital for treatment.

White Toyota strikes roadside vendor in Karon, injuring six people including two young German children

The accident occurred on Monday, 19 October, on Luang Pho Chuan Road, near the southern end of Karon Beach. Police received notification at approximately 3.50 pm.

The collision happened outside the Orchid Hotel, close to a massage business. Officers arriving at the scene discovered a white Toyota Corolla Cross on the roadside pavement. Nearby lay a damaged red Honda Wave motorcycle fitted with a sidecar used for selling fried meatballs.

Police identified the Toyota driver as Ms Sutthisa, 53, from neighbouring Phang Nga province. Her vehicle carried Bangkok registration plates, reportedly numbered 7 ขณ 8317.

Although the driver escaped injury, six other people were hurt when her vehicle struck the motorcycle and pedestrians. Among them were three German visitors, including a seven-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl. The youngest victim was barely beyond infancy when the collision occurred.

German woman and two children among six injured after Toyota strikes Phuket roadside meatball vendor

The German casualties were identified as Kristina Rusch, 45, Erik Fast, seven, and Marie-Kristina Fast, two. All three were travelling together when the accident occurred. However, published police accounts did not establish their precise family relationships.

The three were walking in the area when the Toyota struck the roadside vendor. Subsequently, they were among the casualties transported to Chalong Hospital.

The three Thai victims were identified as Wiphawan Onthong, 36, Suphangmata Phothong, 50, and Prasit Samitanon, 33. Prasit operated a mobile food stall selling deep-fried meatballs. His business used a red Honda Wave motorcycle fitted with a sidecar.

The motorcycle was positioned beside the road when the Toyota approached. Moments later, the vehicle struck the motorcycle, triggering the collision that injured the nearby pedestrians.

According to the driver’s account, the Toyota initially struck the mobile food vendor. The impact damaged the motorcycle and sidecar before other people nearby were injured. Prasit suffered minor injuries, while the two Thai women and three German visitors were also hurt.

Emergency responders subsequently transported all six casualties to Chalong Hospital. Police described their injuries as minor, with no serious injuries reported in the initial accounts.

Driver admits checking GPS before Toyota strikes food vendor and pedestrians on Phuket tourist road

Nevertheless, the available reports provided no detailed medical updates concerning the two German children. Neither did they establish whether any of the casualties required further hospital treatment.

The six injured people comprised three Thai nationals and three German visitors. Five were pedestrians, while the sixth was operating the roadside food stall. The Toyota driver was the only person directly identified in the reports as escaping injury.

Investigators from Karon Police Station immediately examined the circumstances leading to the collision. Their questioning focused on the driver’s movements and her use of a mobile telephone. Sutthisa told officers she was unfamiliar with Luang Pho Chuan Road.

Consequently, she had been following directions using a GPS navigation application. The system was operating on her mobile phone as she approached the accident location.

The driver admitted looking down at the navigation map instead of watching the road. Within moments, her Toyota veered towards the roadside and struck the motorcycle. The impact subsequently involved pedestrians walking nearby. Crucially, her account placed the distraction immediately before the collision. Police examined that explanation alongside the damaged vehicles and evidence gathered at the scene.

Police charge Thai woman after GPS distraction as alcohol and drug tests return negative results

The driver said she had been checking the route because she did not know the road. Her attention shifted to the navigation application as she reached the location outside the Orchid Hotel. The Toyota then left its intended course and struck the roadside food vendor. As a result, the motorcycle operator and five pedestrians suffered injuries requiring hospital treatment.

Meanwhile, officers conducted alcohol and drug tests on the 53-year-old woman. Karon Police Chief Police Colonel Pathapee Srichai confirmed that both tests returned negative results.

Even so, investigators proceeded with a negligent driving charge covering personal injuries and property damage. The charge followed police questioning and the driver’s admission that she had looked away from the road.

The damaged Honda Wave motorcycle was central to the investigation. Its sidecar had been adapted for selling fried meatballs beside the road. Prasit was operating the business when the Toyota struck the vehicle.

In addition, the collision involved pedestrians walking close to the food stall. Police therefore examined damage to both vehicles and the injuries sustained by those caught in the accident.

Two German children taken to hospital as reports clarify six casualties in Phuket Toyota collision

The crash occurred during the afternoon in Karon, a major tourist area on Phuket’s western coast. The location was outside the Orchid Hotel, near other roadside businesses. Notably, the German casualties included two children who were walking with an adult visitor.

The youngest, Marie-Kristina Fast, was only two years old. Her seven-year-old companion, Erik Fast, was also among those requiring hospital treatment.

Initial reporting produced conflicting casualty totals. Some accounts referred to five injured people while separately identifying the injured motorcycle vendor. However, the complete list of named victims comprised six people.

They included the three Germans, two Thai women and the Thai food vendor. Police subsequently confirmed that all six were transported to Chalong Hospital.

The accident also prompted questions about the vehicle involved. Photographs and local reports identified it as a white Toyota Corolla Cross. Its Bangkok registration details were recorded during the investigation. Furthermore, the driver was identified as a resident of Phang Nga province. She was reportedly unfamiliar with the Karon road where the collision occurred.

Driver released after questioning as police examine compensation and possible app-based taxi work

Following police questioning, Sutthisa was released. However, investigators said she remained responsible for medical expenses incurred by the injured people. Compensation discussions were also expected.

At that stage, no completed financial settlements had been confirmed. The reports likewise provided no figures for hospital bills or the damage to the motorcycle and sidecar.

Separately, questions emerged over whether the woman had been operating an app-based taxi service when the crash occurred. Police Colonel Pathapee declined to confirm whether she was working in that capacity.

There was no verified information establishing that she was carrying passengers. Nor had police confirmed whether the journey was commercial or private. The driver’s possible involvement in app-based transport services therefore remained unresolved.

The question arose alongside the driver’s account of using GPS navigation on an unfamiliar road. However, police had not identified a transport company or confirmed any commercial booking associated with her journey.

Police confirm driver looked at mobile navigation before Karon crash as German victims are identified

Investigators had established that she was following directions on her mobile telephone. They had also recorded her admission that she looked down at the application immediately before the collision.

The incident was first reported by local news outlets on Monday evening. Further details emerged on Tuesday, 20 October, including the victims’ identities and the driver’s account. Those reports identified the location outside the Orchid Hotel on Luang Pho Chuan Road. They also confirmed the involvement of the motorcycle vendor and three German visitors.

The two German children were among the most prominent casualties in the police reports. Marie-Kristina Fast, two, and Erik Fast, seven, were injured alongside 45-year-old Kristina Rusch. All three were transported to Chalong Hospital.

Although their injuries were initially described as minor, individual medical details remained limited. Their precise family relationships were also not established in the published accounts.

Two Thai women and food vendor injured alongside German visitors as police pursue negligent driving case

The two Thai women, Wiphawan Onthong and Suphangmata Phothong, were likewise injured while walking in the area. Meanwhile, Prasit Samitanon suffered injuries when the Toyota struck his mobile food stall.

His red Honda Wave motorcycle and attached sidecar were damaged. Together, the six casualties represented everyone identified as injured in the collision.

The driver escaped physical injury and subsequently underwent police testing and questioning. Her alcohol and drug results were negative.

Nevertheless, investigators proceeded with the negligent driving charge following her admission concerning the GPS application. She was later released, with responsibility for medical expenses remaining an issue between the driver and victims.

The investigation was continuing into the collision, the injuries and the damage to the food vendor’s motorcycle. In parallel, compensation arrangements had yet to be confirmed. Police also left unanswered whether Sutthisa had been working as an app-based taxi driver. The charge remained the principal legal development following Monday’s crash, while the six injured people received hospital treatment.

French tourist killed in Phuket road smash. 51 year old Thai driver of speeding Volvo arrested at the scene

Tributes pour in for British expat who died in a horrific bike accident on Thursday in Chiang Mai

British man dies in horrific big bike accident near an underpass in Chiang Mai early Thursday morning

Brit in Udon Thani heart sore after his beloved tricycle motorbike is stolen by early morning thieves

8 year old girl in Udon Thani had a narrow escape when a UK man’s car crashed through her garden wall

UK former mercenary, living in Thailand for 22 years, given a strong warning by Udon Thani police on Friday

Thai speaking foreigner attacks PTT service station attendants in Udon Thani in the early hours

Fierce and enraged UK tourist assaulted a Phuket Tuk Tuk driver on Saturday over a fare and change dispute

Phuket police promise to charge a foreign man for cutting a chain put on his illegally parked bike

Anutin tells Swiss man Urs Fehr he should go home as he urges Phuket’s governor to monitor the court case

Swiss man Uli Fehr’s hellish Thai nightmare as he is detained and branded as a threat to society

Another even more serious assault by a Swiss man on a frail Thai woman as Uli Fehr has his visa revoked

James Morris is a pename for an international writer based in Bangkok who works on various international news media. He is a sub editor with the Thai Examiner news website since it began in 2015. Son Nguyen is an international writer and news commentator specialising in Thai news and current affairs. He commenced working with the Thai Examiner News Desk in May 2018.

All posts by James Morris and Son Nguyen

Police arrest South Korean after child reports mother being abused. Man found to have overstayed his visa October 16, 2026 A sudden call from a Thai woman’s child triggers

Base pipe bomb attack on Thursday in southern Yala province left five army officers with minor injuries October 16, 2026 Yala security forces come under bomb attack as

Prime Minister Anutin talks of an economy driven by ‘quality growth’ at the Bangkok IMF World Bank forum October 15, 2026 Anutin promises advanced industries, richer tourists

Thai Airways now says baggage failure was five times worse than admitted. Board orders compensation October 15, 2026 Thai Airways faces a worldwide reckoning after 25,000

Boss Surat Thani woman shot worker who borrowed a cooking pot and motorbike dead after he attacked her October 15, 2026 Roadside bloodshed in Surat Thani as a woman shoots

Malaysian couple on honeymoon with 40 litres of petrol spark security crisis at IMF World Bank summit October 14, 2026 Bomb squad police search a Malaysian couple’s

Ekniti clings to AI to buoy the Thai economy and even promises a second life for the ‘sick man of Asia’ October 14, 2026 Ekniti pitches an AI-powered revival at the

Child trafficked from Burma sold for 30k baht by her mother as top ministers smash vile ring in Bangkok October 13, 2026 Two arrested and six Burmese children rescued in

Action underway against adventure sports organisers after two foreign tourists are injured abseiling October 13, 2026 An adventure trip in Phetchabun ended with two foreign

Southern senator warns Thais losing out in Malaysia’s service economy due to an Immigration crackdown October 13, 2026 Malaysia targets undocumented workers in 10,374

Thai UK beauty wins Ms Global title. Highly educated marketing whiz stormed to victory in home pageant October 13, 2026 Beauty, brains and grit! Thai-British Saffron Maya

People’s Party bigwig calls on Pheu Thai to put the country first in the forthcoming no confidence vote October 12, 2026 Anutin faces a political showdown as the

Two Nigerians arrested for cocaine possession in Pattaya as police launch a crackdown on illicit drugs October 12, 2026 Police raid a Pattaya condo and discover cocaine

Thaksin’s mansion and bulletproof cars on the line as court reserves decision on tax debt injunction to halt collection October 11, 2026 Thaksin battles to stop a ฿17.6 billion tax

5 Chinese man gang departs Thailand within hours of a 37 million baht heist in Pattaya of Turkish target October 11, 2026 One month watching their target. Six hours to escape

Failing foreign tourism sector at war over tourist levy and exactly who benefits from the billions raised October 11, 2026 Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphajee

Eleven arrested in Saturday property raids linked to foreigners with links to criminality across Bangkok October 10, 2026 Police raid Bangkok’s luxury estates, targeting

US Bangkok broadside to the IMF and the World Bank delivered by Scott Bessent who snubbed the meeting October 16, 2026

Friday protests by anti IMF World Bank activists continue after overnight camp event in central Bangkok October 16, 2026

Air hostess linked to international trafficking ring smuggling Chinese nationals in and out of Thailand October 16, 2026

Protests at the IMF World Bank meetings turn violent but Bangkok police deny being heavy handed October 15, 2026

Bhumjaithai Party Southern MP facing political strain as questions grow about her husband’s online fortune October 15, 2026

Portuguese woman’s 5 year stay in Thailand without a valid visa ends at a Phuket cookery class on Tuesday October 15, 2026

Thai police get involved in Hong Kong prostitution ring smashed last weekend which yielded vast returns October 14, 2026

Police arrest Chinese tourist thief who used Thai flights to snatch credit cards and run up charges on them October 14, 2026

UK man urgently sought by family after vanishing in Thailand over a week ago just before his flight home October 13, 2026

Tax grab targeted at outbound passengers is opposed by travel industry as ministry pushes a new agenda October 13, 2026

Upmarket Thai prostitution racket smashed by Hong Kong police. 16 people arrested in separate swoops October 13, 2026

Air force monitors Chinese base operation in Laos as Beijing strengthens military ties with neighbours October 12, 2026

Tourist police reach out to Russian Embassy to inform tourists visiting Thailand about laws and customs October 12, 2026

Police chief says Bangkok is ready for World Bank and IMF meetings with over 18,000 delegates visiting October 12, 2026

Indian YouTube on tour of Thailand with no money hits a snag at Udon Thani temple and is asked to leave October 11, 2026

Chiang Rai river basin findings ramp up the pressure on Thailand to act over poison flowing from Burma October 11, 2026

Horrorific work incident saw woman (49) decapitated by a lift on Saturday. Police investigation underway October 10, 2026

Counterfeiting racket selling on TikTok and Lazada busted in Samut Sakhon. Six foreigners arrested on site October 10, 2026

PM says he can explain. Denies power over impartial agencies as a no confidence motion is filed in House October 10, 2026

Murder in Trang over meth tablet dealing. Two men arrested after burned remains found near reservoir October 9, 2026

Commerce Minister says that a November signing of a US Thai trade deal is in sight as exporters stand by October 9, 2026

Armed police action in Nonthaburi as man wanted for attempted murder sought to evade an arrest warrant October 9, 2026

© 2026 Thai Examiner. All rights reserved.

手机左右滑动,电脑按 ← → 键,也能切换新闻