Pattaya, Thailand: Australian toddler and his father among those injured after driver loses control of car

Warning: Graphic content

An Australian father and his toddler are lucky to be alive after an out-of-control car mounted on a busy footpath.

The 56-year-old man was pushing his 2-year-old son in a pram in Pattaya, Thailand, on Wednesday when they were struck.

Just before 8pm, a BMW sedan reversed suddenly and mounted the curb, hitting several passers-by, one of whom was reportedly caught under the vehicle’s wheels when it came to a stop.

The incident occurred on one of Pattaya’s busiest streets, adjacent to one of the city’s largest shopping centres.

The pair were taken to hospital for assessment, alongside three other foreign nationals; an American and two Indians.

No fatalities have been reported.

The 57-year-old female driver was involved in a separate crash with a motorbike prior to the incident.

It is understood the driver was only half inside the vehicle at the time of the crash and the car took off while she was looking for her driver’s licence to exchange details with the motorcyclist.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Suthiraphan Tapsri said, according to News.com.au, that the incident was “clearly captured” by the CCTV cameras of a massage parlour.

“The footage shows the driver getting into the car and, before the door could be closed, the vehicle suddenly moved backwards and struck the tourists, causing the injuries,” he said.

“We have collected the CCTV footage for examination and are questioning witnesses as part of legal proceedings.”

A masseuse sitting outside the massage parlour witnessed the incident.

“Everyone in the shop screamed because a tourist was pushing a pram past at that moment,” she said.

“The car hit many tourists directly.

“We were lucky because we usually sat on that path but today we were sitting on the steps.

“Otherwise, someone would have been run over and killed.”