German couple killed when speeding truck hits them on zebra crossing in Thailand

An elderly German couple were killed by a speeding pickup truck in a horror hit-and-run on a zebra crossing in Thailand.

Wilbert Schwiers, 64, and his wife Gabriela Wiege Gulden, 63, were crossing the road outside a restaurant in Phang Nga province when a pickup truck ran the red traffic light and struck them.

CCTV footage shows the couple, from Monchengladbach, stepping off the road divider before the truck ploughed into them, hurling them several feet away.

Shocked diners and staff rushed to the pair's aid as the pickup driver fled the scene in the town of Khao Lak on Friday evening, October 2.

Paramedics arrived at the scene at around 9:30 pm local time, where they found the pensioners seriously injured and unconscious.

Wilbert, a musician, reportedly had a deep laceration to his face and abrasions across his body and was unresponsive, while his wife, Gabriela, had abrasions and a deformed right shoulder.

They were taken to Khao Lak Medical Centre for emergency treatment, but were pronounced dead two hours later.

Police said they had checked in at the Le Menara Khao Lak Resort in Takua Pa district on September 30, and were due to leave on October 9.

Witnesses in the area reported that the pickup had struck both tourists as they crossed the road before the driver sped away without stopping to help.

Police Major Chokdee Saengmanee, an investigator at Khao Lak Police Station, said: ‘At 9:45 pm on October 2, we received a report of a vehicle hitting tourists on Phetkasem Road, heading towards Thai Mueang district, near the crossing in front of Orchid Restaurant in Khao Lak.

‘Officers went to the scene and found an injured foreign woman, later identified as Mrs Gabriela Wiege Gulden, 63, a German national, lying on the road while rescue workers were providing emergency treatment.

‘The other injured person was a man who had already been taken to Khao Lak Medical Centre.'

Police Lieutenant General Pongsayam Meekhanthong, Tourist Police commander, said authorities were working to track down the pickup truck involved in the fatal crash.

He said: ‘I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family and relatives of the deceased.

‘We have instructed Tourist Police in the area to closely coordinate with the police handling the case, provide assistance and facilitate the victims' families, coordinate with relevant agencies as necessary and continuously follow up on the progress of the case.

‘Initially, police are collecting evidence and tracking down the pickup truck involved in the incident to bring the driver to justice.

‘As for reports that the vehicle may have run a red light, the facts are still being investigated.'

On October 3, the Thai driver Weera, 37, turned himself in to Khao Lak Police Station at around 2 pm, bringing the pickup truck with him.

The pickup had visible damage to its front and was seized by police as evidence.

Police Colonel Jetsada Chanphum, superintendent of Khao Lak Police Station, said the suspect faces charges of negligent driving causing death, negligent driving endangering persons or property, and failure to stop, render assistance, identify himself and report the accident as required by law.

The superintendent added: 'Initially, the suspect confessed.

‘Police are testing him for drugs and the amount of substances in his bloodstream as additional evidence for the case.

‘If it is found that he was driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, additional charges will be filed.'

The bodies of the couple were taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for post-mortem examinations to establish the cause of death.

Police were also coordinating with the couple's relatives and the German Embassy to arrange the necessary procedures.

Thailand has one of the world's worst road safety records. Ministers have set the goal of reducing fatalities from 32.7 deaths per 100,000 people to 12 per 100,000 people by the year 2027.

However, a lack of road safety education in schools along with notoriously easy driving tests, police failures to enforce road laws, and chronic under-investment in infrastructure, all appear to hamper the efforts.