Famous ‘one hand cyclist’ hit by motorbike on road

A famous disabled cyclist was injured this morning in Bangkok’s Bang Kapi district.

Following a series of cycling fatalities including a 31-year-old woman killed Monday by a hit-and-run driver, Wichien Pingaysorn, aka the “One-Handed Cyclist,” was hit by a motorbike this morning.

Wichien, 54, is being treated for a brain hemorrhage and cracked cheekbone after he was hit by a motorbike along Bang Kapi’s Motorway Frontage Road. The motorbike also flipped over, injuring its rider.

Family member Trin Pingaysorn posted on Facebook this afternoon that Wichien’s condition is stable, and his injuries are not life-threatening.

Wichien became famous in 2004 for becoming the first Thai to cycle through 72 countries using only one hand.  He lost his right hand to an explosion when he was 15. He was also a former triathlon athlete in the FESPIC Games, an international sports competition for the disabled.

It was unclear what caused the motorbike’s operator to hit Wichien.

Photo: Banjong Cheewamongkholkarn