Efforts to review the movements of American citizen Gregory Yamada, 41, remain active following a serious motorbike collision on the Thai island of Koh Chang that left a British family with significant injuries. Yamada was confirmed to be four times over Thailand’s legal alcohol limit at the time of the incident and later failed to attend a scheduled court appearance before leaving the country.
The collision occurred on January 22nd 2024, when a British father, his partner and their four-year-old daughter were walking along a footpath during the early days of a long-planned holiday. According to the father, a motorbike ridden by Greg Yamada approached at considerable speed before striking all three of them. The impact threw the young girl into the air and left the mother unconscious.
Emergency responders were on the scene shortly after the crash. The mother, 40, was treated for extensive injuries including multiple broken bone fractures in her neck, scalp lacerations that required stitches, and widespread abrasions and cuts across her body. Their daughter sustained multiple soft-tissue injuries to her face, eyes, torso, arms and legs. These included a deep laceration above her eye that resulted in scarring, a subconjunctival haemorrhage that left one eye completely blood-red, and a sinus fracture on her skull caused by impact trauma.
The father, 36, reported that Greg Yamada appeared visibly intoxicated at the hospital. Police later confirmed that breath testing placed him at four times over the legal alcohol limit, leading to a charge of driving while drunk causing injury to other people. Under Thai law, such an offence carries a possible sentence of three to six years in prison.
Despite being instructed to appear in court, Gregory Yamada did not attend. Records note that he holds both United States and Japanese passports, and immigration data confirms he crossed the border into Cambodia following the incident.
The family returned to the United Kingdom soon after the crash to continue ongoing medical treatment. The father described the experience as “life-changing” due to the extensive injuries and the long recovery process required.
In a statement provided after their return home, the family said Yamada’s cowardly disappearance has intensified the emotional impact of the crash, expressing that it reflects an attempt to avoid responsibility for the devastation caused.
The matter remains open, with information related to Yamada’s movements continuing to be examined as enquiries progress.
