An American tourist died in a horror motorcycle crash after suffering a heart attack while he was riding home.

Larry Dean Chupp Jr., 56, was returning from dinner with his niece on the back of a rented 125cc Honda Click when he felt a sharp pain in his chest.

He released the handlebars to clutch his chest as pillion passenger, Isabella Marie Chupp, 16, screamed in panic in Phuket, Thailand, on May 31.

The two-wheeler veered toward the roadside and crashed into the undergrowth. Miraculously, Isabella survived the carnage.

Officers arrived at the scene after receiving a report at 7 pm. They found Larry lying dead near the edge of the roadside forest, while Isabella was uninjured.

Police Major Channarong Prakhongkuea from the Patong district station said: 'Before the crash, the deceased was driving home to his accommodation at the Patong Rai Rum Yen Hotel.

'He told his niece that he was having chest pains and could not control the motorcycle, causing it to veer off the road and crash.

'His relatives were not suspicious about the cause of death. She did not request a further investigation.

'A brief inspection of the body was conducted before he was taken to the Vachira Phuket Hospital for a post-mortem examination.'

The driver, from Georgia, was understood to have had chronic heart disease. The exact cause of his death was being investigated.

Officials said they have called the US Embassy to help with consular procedures.