Minivan, bus and road accidents

[Nereus]

If the reports are correct the driver should be lined up against a wall and arbitrarily SHOT!
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Pick-up overturns in Samut Prakan; 17 killed, one injured

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ne-injured

SAMUT PRAKAN: An overloaded pick-up truck overturned in Bang Phli district of this central province early on Sunday, killing 17 students from a technical college in the northeastern province of Si Sa Ket, and seriously wounding the driver, police said.

Pol Lt Col Samran Chuaythao, a Bang Kaew police duty officer, said the accident occurred at about 1am on King Kaew road.

A taxi driver who witnessed the accident told police that shortly before 1am he saw a pick-up truck run out of Soi King Kaew 2 at a high speed. On the main King Kaew road, the pick-up headed for Lat Krabang on the right lane. At one point, the pick-up suddenly skidded off the road onto the footpath and rammed into two roadside power posts and overturned. The two power posts were broken.

The twelve students who were travelling on the rear of the pick-up were thrown onto the road by the violent impact and killed on the spot, while five other students sitting inside the vehicle and the driver were seriously injured. The bodies of the 12 students were left scattered on the road.

The six injured were rushed to Chularat 9 Hospital for treatment. Of the six, five died later of serious injuries at the hospital, adding up the death toll to 17.

A police investigation revealed that all of the 17 passengers who died were students of Si Sa Ket Technical College. They were sent to undergo job training at a garage called Patara Body Service in Soi King Kaew 22/2.

On Saturday, the last day of the job training, a feast was held at the garage to celebrate the end of their training. The celebration went on until late in the night. The students, who had been served with alcohol and beer, went on to Soi King Kaew 2 where a mor lam, a northeastern-stye entertaining show, was held.

After the end of the show, they left on the pick-up along the main King Kaew road, where the incident happened.

Police were examining the footage of all security cameras in the area and would interview the driver, who was seriously injured, after he recovers, to establish the cause of the accident.

[Thistle]

Absolutely tragic,and as is the norm nothing whatsoever will alter or change that these incidents do not occur on such a regular basis.

[PeteC]

This current accident news story along with BB's Malaysia trip report gave me an idea to quickly check Malaysia accident stats. I only looked at the one article below. Better then here, but it doesn't seem by much. Once again motorbikes seem the biggest problem.

https://www.star2.com/health/2019/05/14 ... accidents/

[Big Boy]

Motorcyclists and their passengers all wear helmets in Malaysia. We only saw one motorcyclist and his passenger not wearing, but that was in a very rural area anyway.

[HHTel]

Each time I've driven into Malaysia, one of the first things noticed is that generally everyone is driving sensibly and the right hand lane on highways is empty except for overtaking, which is as it should be.

The rules for getting a driving licence are even stricter than in the UK. It involves proper driver training followed by 'probationary licences' before getting a full licence. A great incentive to hold on to your licence after putting the work in.

1. A learner licence after registering with a driving school. Must display an 'L' and can only be driven with an instructor. Must do at least 16 hours on-the-road training before applying for a test. The test includes, slope, 3 point turns, parallel parking, open road driving. This on top of the usual theory test.

2. Probationary Driving Licence after passing all tests. 'P' to be displayed front and back. 10 points within 2 years, licence revoked and have to start again.

3. Competent Driving Licence issued after 2 years with 'P' plates. 15 penalty points, licence revoked.

Compare that with Thailand who is a neighbour. It's no wonder that Thai police officers have driver training in Malaysia before being allowed to drive 'Highway Patrol Cars' (or so I've heard).

[Nereus]

Brothers killed in Trang car-train crash

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... rain-crash

TRANG: Two brothers were killed when an empty passenger train slammed into their car at an unmanned rail crossing in Kantang district on Friday afternoon.

The fatal crash occurred at the crossing at Ban Phakor village in tambon Kholong Cheelom, said officers at the Kantang police station.

Officers found the wreckage of a Toyota Vios with Trang licence plates with its left side badly damaged by the impact from the train. Rapid passenger train No.187 was travelling from Trang station on the way to Kantang station to pick up passengers wanting to travel to Bangkok.

Two men, identified later as driver Thotsaporn Sitthipan, 33 and his brother Sorawit, 25, both natives of Kantang, were found dead and their bodies trapped in the wreckage of the car.

Wiwat Amphan, 33, who witnessed the incident, said the car was trying to cross the track as the train was approaching. He and other residents in the area heard the train sound its horn but the car kept going.

The train dragged the car along the track for more than 800 metres.

“We want the State Railway of Thailand to install a railway barrier at this crossing, as both sides are surrounded by rubber plantations that make it very hard for motorists using this route to see trains. They only see the train when they arrive close to the crossing. This crossing is very dangerous,” said Mr Wirwat.

A source said Mr Sorawit worked at Vachira Phuket Hospital and had travelled back to Kantang district to get married on Oct 10. His elder brother had taken him out to buy cakes to take back to friends in Phuket before the fatal crash.

The heavily indebted State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and local administrations have long been at odds over who should pay to install barriers and signals at unmanned crossings.

There is a general agreement that if a track crosses an existing road, the SRT should foot the bill for safety equipment. But if a newly built road crosses an existing rail track, barriers would be the responsibility of the agency that had the road built.

php6YcOYhAM.jpg (65.97 KiB) Viewed 723 times

[Dannie Boy]

What a tragedy - gets married and 2 days later killed in a car/train accident!!

[HHTel]

Another waste of young lives.

We want the State Railway of Thailand to install a railway barrier at this crossing, as both sides are surrounded by rubber plantations that make it very hard for motorists using this route to see trains. They only see the train when they arrive close to the crossing. This crossing is very dangerous

Not the solution as they're usually 'half barriers' and drivers will drive around them. Barriers need to be full length barriers to make a difference.

[Nereus]

Two killed in Phetchabun accident

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... n-accident

PHETCHABUN: A woman and a child were killed and the driver injured after a pick-up loaded with vegetables overturned while running downhill in Lom Kao district of this central northern province on Sunday morning, according to a police report.

The accident occurred at about 5.30am at kilometre marker 1 near Cho Wo village on the road to Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park while the pick-up was delivering vegetables from Phu Thap Boek to a vegetable market in Lom Kao district.

The pick-up skidded off the road, rammed into a roadside railing and overturned while running downhill. The vegetables were scattered all over the road. A woman and a child were killed and the driver injured. The three, who were not immidiately identified, were of a Hmong family.

The injured was admitted to Lom Kao Hospital.

Later at about 8.10am, a car which was also running downhill from Phu Thap Boek slid off the same road at a curve at kilometre marker 7, rammed into a pile of dirt and overturned. Two tourists in the car, including the driver, sustained only minor injuries.

[buksida]

Having just driven a lot of the roads up there I can confirm how dangerous they are, especially that particular road. Matters are not helped by nutters overtaking around blind bends on steep gradients.

[HHTel]

Have you ever seen a local driver drop to low gears when going downhill? I haven't but been behind many who seem to be permanently on the brake pedal.
I don't think they understand that holding the vehicle in low gear is far safer than relying on brakes. A low gear will hold your vehicle while giving traction and using the brakes will cause you to lose traction often causing a skid as described above.

[Nereus]

Woman killed, 2 injured as pickup rams parked cars

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... arked-cars

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: A woman was killed and two other people injured after a speeding pickup truck rammed into nine vehicles parked along a road in Muang district of this southern province on Saturday night, police said.

Pol Capt Adul Chusen, a Chamao police investigator, said the accident occurred at about 8.30pm near Ban Chamao. The nine vehicles belonged to people arriving at a temple opposite the Chamao police station to attend a funeral.

Three people, two women and a man, were injured in the incident. They were rushed to Maharat Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital. One of the two women, Sirirat Raekchamnong, 51, died later at the hospital.

Footage from a security camera showed a black Mitsubishi pickup trying to overtake a big bike at high speed and then crashing into the nine vehicles, causing one of them to burst into flames.

The driver of the pickup, who was not identified, was detained for questioning and further legal action.

[Nereus]

Another level crossing "accident". Seems they are not sure if dead or alive!
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Train hits pickup on level crossing

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... l-crossing

SONGKHLA: A cargo train hit a pickup truck carrying a family of three at a level crossing in Hat Yai district on Tuesday morning.

The fatal collision occurred at a crossing where there are warning lights but no barriers, in Ban Lop Moom of tambon Phatong, about 10am.

Empty cargo train 4513 was travelling from Padang Besar in Sadao district, near the Malaysian border, to Hat Yai district. It hit the black Chevrolet pickup truck on the passenger side.

The impact carried the truck about 300 metres from the crossing. The train engine was only slightly damaged and it later continued on to Hat Yai.

The pickup driver, Chatchai Saengsupa, 18, was taking his father Chaiwat, 51, and mother Nuban, 48, to hospital.

Mr Chatchai said he did not see the train approaching but his father did and told him to hurry across. When he floored the accelerator the engine stalled, leaving the truck stranded on the track. The train hit the left side, where his father sat.

The father was severely injured. All three family members were taken to Songklanagarind Hospital.

[Nereus]

Bus hits truck, driver killed, all passengers injured

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... rs-injured

SAMUT PRAKAN: A bus carrying factory workers crashed into a semi-trailer truck, killing the bus driver and injuring all his passengers, on Sukhumvit Road in Muang district on Tuesday.

The collision occurred in tambon Bang Pu about 8am. Police said there were about 30 employees of Saha Union on the bus. All were injured, eight seriously.

Rescue workers gave first aid to the injured passengers, who were then taken to local hospitals.

The bus driver, Wichian Phumsawat, 53, was crushed to death in his seat.

Wanchai Thongwichit, 35-year-old driver of the truck, told police the bus was travelling in the opposite direction. It crossed onto the centre line to overtake a van. He swerved to the left trying to avoid it, but the bus crashed into his truck's trailer.

The bus and the semi-trailer truck rest on Sukhumvit Road in Muang district of Samut Prakan after the fatal collision on Tuesday morning. (Photo by Sutthiwit Chayutworakan)

[Nereus]

3 killed in Korat as car skids into canal

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... into-canal

NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Three people, a man and two women, were killed after a car skidded off a road and plunged into a roadside canal in Phimai district on Sunday afternoon, police said.

Police and rescuers rushed to the scene on Non Daeng-Prathai road on being informed of the accident, which occurred at about 2.50pm.

On arriving at the scene, they found the Toyota car submerged upside down in the water. Three people -- a man and two women -- had been pulled out of the car by Veerachet Kaensuk, 28, who was driving past the spot and stopped on seeing a 14-year-old girl waving for help.

The rescuers performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the man and the women, who appeared unconscious, but found they had died.

The girl, Parichat Kwanruan, was the only survivor of the accident. She told police that the car was headed from Non Daeng district to Ban Chong Maew village in Phimai district. On the way, she fell asleep and woke up when the car plunged into the canal.

She managed to get out of the car and waved for help when she saw Mr Veerachet driving past the spot. He extracted the other three occupants of the car and called police.