Russian killed as motorbike, Phuket taxi collide

Police have yet to file any charges over a deadly collision that left one Russian man dead and another Russian man with head injuries and a broken leg in Phuket yesterday (Dec 19).

The accident occurred near the Jee Teng mansion on the busy Thepkrasattri Rd in Koh Kaew at about 5pm.

Police arrived to find the two Russian men on the ground. Roman Melekhin, 25, was unresponsive with head and neck injuries. He was taken to Thalang Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

His companion, Maksim Burmatov, 28, was conscious but with a head injury and a broken leg.

Nearby was a crumpled Honda Click motorbike that the men were riding and parked in the footpath was a registered Toyota Camry “green license plate” taxi with damage to its left front end.

Taxi driver Nattawat Thongthapae, 38, told police that he was driving from the airport in the middle lane when the accident happened.

“We were told that the Russian men were riding their motorbike in the left lane,” said Thalang Police Capt Sunan Pethnoo.

“The accident happened when the motorbike driver [allegedly] swerved in front of the taxi to cross the lanes to make the u-turn,” he said.

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