Couple Killed Cycling Around the World
Hit by a car in Thailand
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Peter Root and Mary Thompson, a British couple attempting to cycle around the world, were struck and killed by a pickup truck in Bangkok, Thailand, last week, according to local police. The pair left Great Britain in July 2011, traveling through Europe, the Middle East, and much of Asia.
The truck’s driver has been released on bail, but he faces up to 10 years in prison on charges of causing death by dangerous driving.
Thai Police Lt. Col. Supachai Luangsukcharoen said Monday that investigators found their bodies, their bicycles, and their belongings scattered along a roadside, along with a pickup truck that crashed between some trees.
Supachai said the truck driver, 25-year-old Worapong Sangkhawat, was seriously injured in the crash. He told police his truck hit the cyclists as he was reaching down to pick up a cap from the vehicle’s floor, Supachai said.
Root and Thompson had been documenting the trip at their site Two on Four Wheels.
“They were both inspirational,” said Peter’s father, Jerry Root. “They didn’t just talk about it, they did it. I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
Via CBS News
