An English badminton champion died in Thailand when her friend drove their scooter into the path of a truck, an inquest has heard. Rebecca Shaw, 32, from Bradley, West Yorkshire, was on her way to swim with elephants when the accident happened on a four-lane dual carriageway in Phuket in December 2015.
The inquest at Bradford Coroner's Court heard conflicting accounts from witnesses. The driver of the Toyota pick-up truck, Natthaphon Klomkhan, told police he was driving at about 60km/h when the scooter drove from a side road across the lane of traffic and in front of his vehicle. He said he braked, sounded his horn and flashed his lights but could not avoid a collision.
Julie Robinson, who was driving the scooter and could not be contacted to attend the inquest, said she checked for traffic before crossing and claimed the driver was travelling too fast. In an email, she wrote: 'He just drove straight into the back of the scooter, sending both of us flying through the air at some height.'
Coroner Martin Fleming said photographs showed Robinson's view would have been obscured and crossing the carriageway left little margin for error. He ruled Shaw, who was wearing a helmet, died from head injuries sustained in the collision. Police in Thailand had considered charging Robinson.
Shaw, who played for England's badminton team ten times, was described by her mother Marjorie as 'a real-life angel who cared for everyone around her'. She had been travelling in Thailand after completing a yoga course in Bali.
