French Woman Killed While Cycling in Ayutthaya, Thailand

A young French woman was killed when a car hit her bicycle at an intersection in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district of Ayutthaya, Thailand on Wednesday night.

The fatal crash occurred on Rojana Road at Khlong Makhamriang intersection in Tambon Prathuchai in Ayutthaya at about 9 pm.

Emergency services called to the scene said the French tourist, whose name is being withheld pending notification of relatives, was found lying face down on the road.

Her head was badly injured and bleeding heavily. She was given first aid at the scene and then rushed to Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Hospital.

Sadly she was later pronounced dead.

At the scene, a damaged bicycle was found on the road. Not far from it was a Toyota Altis with Ayutthaya license plates, its bumper damaged on the left side, and the windshield was smashed, the Bangkok Post reported.

The car driver told police he was driving home from work and as he approached the intersection the traffic light turned green, so he continued on.

Two women on bicycles crossed from his left to the road divider. He braked but could not stop in time and hit the French woman. See the Video click here.

The driver said he regretted the accident and apologized to the dead woman’s family.

American Woman Was Learning French

A 34-year-old American woman who was riding with the French woman said she had met the woman in Bangkok and they had decided to visit Ayutthaya together.

She said they were having fun translating French to English while they were riding. She said the was enjoying learning the French language.

According to the American woman they rented bicycles on Wednesday and toured historical sites and temples of Ayutthaya. After dinner, they headed back to their guesthouse.

As they approached the intersection, both noticed the traffic lights were red, and vehicles were parked on both sides of the road.

She and her friend then crossed the road on their bicycles, then suddenly the French woman was hit by a car.

The body of the French woman was taken to Thammasat University Hospital for postmortem examination. A French embassy representative was contacting her family.

A death by reckless driving charge has been filed against the driver.

The government hopes to reduce road fatalities by almost two-thirds within five years, but it admits the effort could be hindered by a lack of public cooperation.

The prime minister announced the goal at an academic seminar in Bangkok on Wednesday.

The 20-year national strategy places a high priority on road safety. It is the goal to reduce traffic accident fatalities to 12 per 100,000 population by 2027 and to achieve Vision Zero by 2050.