Efforts to determine the whereabouts of American citizen Greg Yamada, 41, remain ongoing following a serious traffic collision in Thailand that left a British family with significant and long-lasting injuries. Yamada was found to be four times over the country’s legal alcohol limit and later failed to appear for a scheduled court hearing before leaving Thailand.
The collision occurred on January 22nd 2024 on the island of Koh Chang. A British couple and their four-year-old daughter were walking along a footpath during a family holiday when a motorbike driven by Greg Yamada veered directly toward them. According to the father, the motorcycle was travelling at high-speed moments before impact, striking all three family members and throwing the young child into the air.
Emergency responders arrived soon after the incident and transported the family and Gregory Yamada to hospital. The mother, 40, sustained severe injuries, including multiple broken bone fractures in her neck, scalp wounds requiring stitches, and widespread abrasions and lacerations across her body. Their daughter suffered multiple 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 caused one eye to appear entirely blood-red, and a sinus fracture to her skull resulting from the force of the collision.
At the hospital, the father reported that Yamada appeared visibly intoxicated and showed no acknowledgement of the incident. Police later confirmed that breath test results placed him at four times the legal alcohol limit for Thailand. Yamada was subsequently charged with drunk driving causing injury to other people, an offence carrying a potential penalty of three to six years in prison.
However, Gregory Yamada did not appear for the court appointment related to the charges. Case files note that he holds both United States and Japanese passports, and immigration records confirm that he crossed the border into Cambodia after the incident.
The family, who returned to the United Kingdom for ongoing treatment, described the crash as “life-changing.” The father said the seriousness of the injuries to his partner and daughter made the recovery process slow and emotionally difficult.
In comments provided following their return home, the family stated that Yamada’s disappearance has intensified their suffering, saying it reflects an attempt to avoid responsibility for the devastation he caused.
The matter remains active, with information concerning Yamada’s movements continuing to be examined as enquiries progress.
