Hit, run - and watch

A woman walking on the road close to Mum's shop lost her life last night when a pick-up truck hit her.

The driver did not stop to offer help, but just kept going. The accident occurred about 70m down from the shop, in a poorly lit part of the street.

The woman was aged in her 40s, and largish. She has a son aged in his early 20s. He works as a cashier nearby, and turned up at the scene. 'Mum, I am sorry, I am sorry,' he cried, over and over.

I was serving at Mum's shop when the accident occurred. Mum, who is back from her trip to Esan, went down to investigate, as did many passers-by. For an hour, the spot was lit up by the red and blue flashing lights of emergency vehicles.

While Mum was away, customers turned up at the shop, and asked me what had happened.

'An accident,' I said.

After I finished serving them, they, too, walked down to take a look.

The police turned up, followed by ambulance workers, but they could not help. The impact of the collision left the woman's body lying face down on the road, though Mum says there was no blood.

The accident occurred close to where kathoey Bom works - a restaurant cum karaoke joint. I am sure no one could have done much, as no one knows first aid. That said,  no one seemed too moved by the event.  The diners just stood and watched.

'How could you just leave her lying face down on the road? She could have had trouble breathing,' Mum asked Bom later, when he joined us at the shop for a drink.

She was unimpressed by the way male diners just left the woman there to die.

'The customers told me to wait until the ambulance and police arrived,' Bom said in his defence.

I suspect the patrons had been watching too much CSI. It's only in murders where they worry about not moving the body, or disturbing the crime scene.

Granted, this was a hit and run fatality - but the victim might have liked some comfort before she died.

Kathoey Bom was more interested in her son. 'I felt sorry for him,' he said, more than once.

I suspect he was cute, or kathoey Bom might not have been so sympathetic.

Mum was dismissive, and told him to close his mouth. 'You know too much,' she said, sounding disgusted.

I did not go down to join the rubber-neckers - oops, onlookers. A traffic policeman who works in the area, and who drinks at Mum's shop, passed me on his motorcycle as I crossed the road to urinate.

'Are you going home now? he asked gently, referring to me by name.

I suspect he was making sure I would not go down to join the crowd.

It was kind of him to worry, but I had no intention of going. I don't know what happens at Thai accident scenes, but I suspect they are not places where foreigners should be.

If the pickup truck driver had stopped to help, would the crowd have been sympathetic, or turned on him? I have no idea.

The driver sped off before anyone could spot his licence plate.  Everyone else just stood and - watched.