British Motorcyclist Holloway Blocks Pattaya Ambulance — Dashcam Shows Crash

A surreal scene unfolded on a busy Pattaya street when a British motorcyclist deliberately impeded a Sawang Borriboon Dhammastan Foundation rescue van that was racing a patient to hospital — then flipped off the rescuers before crashing into another motorbike. The man, later identified by police as Holloway, later told officers he had been startled by the siren. The dashcam footage tells a much louder story.

The rescue team had sped to a community near the land office after a call reporting a person who had lost consciousness following a near-drowning. Time was clearly of the essence. As the team tried to weave through traffic with lights flashing and horn blaring, Holloway began swerving his motorcycle in front of the van, repeatedly cutting it off and riding erratically from one side of the lane to the other.

Video captured from the van shows the tense choreography: rescuers flashing lights and sounding the horn, the foreign motorcyclist responding not by pulling over, but by raising his middle finger at them and continuing to block their path. With the patient’s condition unknown and seconds precious, the rescue team had no choice but to trail him closely at speed, hoping to keep the ambulance moving.

The dangerous cat-and-mouse came to a sharp conclusion when Holloway made a sudden right turn at an intersection and collided with a local motorcyclist. Luckily, the collision did not produce serious injuries — a small mercy given how the episode might have ended. The injured local and the British man were attended to, and Mueang Pattaya Police Station officers were called to the scene.

When police arrived, Holloway apologized and explained that the siren had startled him. He agreed to compensate the Thai motorcyclist for damages, and Channel 7 reports that officers fined him before releasing him. The amount of the fine was not disclosed. Crucially, reports did not clarify the condition of the patient who was being transported or whether the incident delayed their arrival at the hospital.

Scenes like this are more than just viral fodder — they’re a reminder of how fragile the chain of emergency response can be. The Pattaya incident recalls a grim case in Samut Prakan province last November, where a private car blocked an emergency vehicle on Prakasa Road. The driver reportedly ignored flashing lights and sirens, and tragically the patient in that case did not survive. The contrast is stark: a rude gesture here, a fatal outcome there. Both underline how critical it is for drivers and riders to yield to emergency vehicles without hesitation.

For the rescue crew from Sawang Borriboon Dhammastan Foundation — a well-known volunteer group in the region — the episode must have been particularly galling. Volunteers and emergency staff rush into chaos daily; their job depends on split-second cooperation from the public. When someone actively obstructs that work, the risk is to lives on board and to other road users. In this case, the dashcam serves as both evidence and warning: erratic driving and deliberate blocking of an emergency vehicle can quickly escalate into collisions and potential fatalities.

Locals and online observers reacted with a mix of disbelief and anger. Many commenters called for stricter penalties for anyone who intentionally impedes emergency response vehicles. Others urged caution, pointing out that sirens can startle drivers — a point Holloway made in his apology — but stressed that startled or confused riders should still make every effort to pull over safely rather than escalating the situation.

There are a few practical takeaways tucked inside this chaotic episode. First, when you hear or see an emergency vehicle approaching, assume it’s heading to a life-or-death situation. Slow down, check mirrors, and pull to the side when it’s safe. Second, if a siren startles you, don’t make abrupt maneuvers that could endanger others; slow your vehicle and find a controlled way to clear a path. Third, dashcam footage increasingly documents what happens on our roads — sometimes vindicating victims, sometimes exposing reckless behavior. In Pattaya this week, it provided a clear record of events and actions.

As for Holloway, the incident ended with an apology, an agreement to compensate the injured Thai rider, and a police fine. Whether the patient in the rescue van reached hospital in time remains unreported in the initial coverage, and that unanswered question is what leaves the most unsettling taste. In the end, the story serves as both cautionary tale and wake-up call: when someone is racing against the clock, common sense — and road courtesy — should never be left behind.