Fragment of metal sheet embedded in hood of pickup truck but no one injured
PUBLISHED : 31 Jul 2024 at 18:51
The Department of Highways is investigating an accident in which a sheet of metal fell onto a car on Rama II Road, the latest of several mishaps on the perennially under-construction route.
The accident took place near the Wat Pak Bo junction on Monday at around 11.45am beneath an under-construction elevated highway, said Sarawut Songsivilai, the department’s director-general.
Arjin Rodthani, 46, the owner of the damaged pickup, said the 50cm metal sheet was embedded in the hood of his pickup truck. The accident shocked him and his family, who were in the car at the time of the accident, he added.
News about the accident went viral on social media and attracted criticism from the public.
Rama II Road, where construction of one type or another has been going on for four decades, has been the site of a number of accidents involving construction materials falling on vehicles. Some of them resulted in fatalities.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin recently ordered the numerous agencies concerned to get their act together and ensure that all work will be finished next year.
Mr Sarawut said the mishap on Monday occurred outside approved construction hours between 8pm and 5am. It was initially found that stormy weather and strong winds caused the metal sheet to fall. Nobody was injured, he added.
The contractor in charge of the construction project has compensated the pickup owner and was ordered to stop construction for three days so that a detailed investigation into the accident could be made.
If it is found that the contractor failed to comply with safety measures, it will face legal action and its reputation points will be deducted.
The Department of Highways has ordered its staff to inspect all of the ongoing construction projects on the road to prevent a similar event from happening again.