Irish student filmmaker and his Czech girlfriend were killed after their rented scooter skidded on a rain-soaked mountain curve on Doi Inthanon in northern Thailand before smashing head-on into a pickup truck during a deadly downhill descent.
A young Irish student filmmaker and his Czech girlfriend were killed in a horrific motorcycle crash on Thailand’s highest mountain after their rented scooter lost control on a rain-soaked descent and slammed into an oncoming pickup truck, triggering a major emergency response on the treacherous roads of Doi Inthanon and leaving investigators examining whether dangerous wet conditions on one of the country’s busiest tourist routes caused the fatal collision that shocked the victim’s Dublin community and prompted Irish consular assistance.
A young Irish student filmmaker and his Czech girlfriend were killed in a motorcycle crash on Thailand’s highest mountain after their rented scooter lost control during heavy rain and slammed into a pickup truck.
The crash happened early Thursday afternoon on Doi Inthanon in northern Thailand. Officers from Chom Thong Police Station received the emergency call at 12.20pm on May 14, 2026.
They immediately travelled to the scene alongside rescue workers from Chom Thong Hospital, Ban Luang Subdistrict Municipality, and Doi Inthanon National Park. The collision occurred between kilometre markers 22 and 23 on a steep downhill curve.
Heavy rain and steep mountain curve sent rented scooter skidding into oncoming pickup truck in Chiang Mai
At the time, heavy rain had drenched the mountain road. As a result, visibility and road conditions rapidly deteriorated.
According to investigators, the couple had rented a red Honda PCX scooter to visit the national park earlier that day. However, the return journey ended in catastrophe. Police said the motorcycle skidded while descending a sharp curve on the mountain slope.
The scooter then crossed into the path of an oncoming pickup truck. Moments later, it crashed violently into the vehicle’s front end. The impact destroyed much of the motorcycle and scattered debris across the roadway. Furthermore, the pickup truck suffered severe front-end damage from the collision.
When emergency crews arrived, the Czech woman was already dead at the scene. Meanwhile, the Irishman was found critically injured beside the wreckage.
Emergency crews found Czech woman dead while critically injured Irishman fought for life at crash site
Rescue workers rushed him to Chom Thong Hospital for emergency treatment. However, he later died from the severity of his injuries. Police officers then sealed off the road while investigators examined the crash site. In addition, officers inspected debris patterns, vehicle damage, tyre marks, and the wet road surface.
Initial findings pointed to dangerous driving conditions on the mountain descent. Investigators said recent rainfall had made the road especially slippery. Furthermore, the crash site sat on a steep section of the route frequently affected by rainwater runoff.
Authorities said further investigations are continuing to establish the precise cause of the collision. They will also determine whether any legal action is necessary.
Investigators focused on the slippery downhill route as police examined wreckage and road surface
The Irish victim was described as a young filmmaker who was well known in his local Dublin community. He is understood to have been a student at Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology. On Sunday, he was named by Dublin media sources as Max Hendrickson from Cabra in Dublin.
The 20-year-old was an astute student filmmaker who won the 2023 Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year award.
Meanwhile, Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed it was aware of the case and was assisting the man’s family. A department spokesperson said: “As with all consular cases, the department does not comment on the details of individual cases.” The identity of the Czech woman also had not been formally released.
The crash happened on one of Thailand’s most visited mountain roads. Doi Inthanon is widely known as “The Roof of Thailand” because it is the country’s highest peak. The mountain rises 2,565 metres above sea level and sits about 70 kilometres southwest of Chiang Mai.
Doi Inthanon mountain roads draw tourists year round despite dangerous wet season descents during storms
The national park attracts large numbers of domestic and foreign tourists every year. Visitors travel there for its cool climate, cloud forests, waterfalls, and twin pagodas. However, the mountain roads are steep, narrow, and sharply curved. During periods of heavy rain, conditions can quickly become hazardous.
Thursday’s fatal collision caused traffic disruption along the descending mountain route for several hours. Meanwhile, rescue teams cleared wreckage from the roadway and removed the damaged scooter. Police later reopened the route after completing their initial examination.
Irishman severed in two in a horrific condo jump in Bangkok after a heated row with girlfriend minutes earlier
Family in effort to repatriate young Irishman who died while kayaking in Surat Thani last weekend
However, investigators continued gathering evidence from the crash scene. The deaths of the Irish student and his girlfriend later sent shockwaves through his local community in Dublin, while officials in Ireland and Thailand remained in contact with relatives following the tragedy.
Join the Thai News forum, follow Thai Examiner on Facebook here
Receive all our stories as they come out on Telegram here
Follow Thai Examiner here
Further reading:
Sex drugs found in hotel room of Australian man who died from balcony fall on Tuesday in Phuket
Pattaya bar girl jumps to her death after heated row with her foreign boyfriend on her birthday
Thai girlfriend survives fall from 5th floor condo after heated argument with her French partner
Pattaya bar girl jumps to her death after heated row with her foreign boyfriend on her birthday
