Truck strikes power pole in Ratchaburi, killing driver’s wife
PUBLISHED : 29 Jul 2023 at 15:32
A 26-year-old man narrowly escaped death when his car plummeted 15 metres off an expressway in Bangkok early on Saturday.
Expressway police and rescue volunteers were alerted at 3:30am to a Honda Civic that had plunged from the Si Rat Expressway onto Rama VI Road.
At the scene, authorities found the vehicle with all its tyres punctured, a large collision mark on its front, a collapsed roof and windows shattered.
Inside, they found the driver, identified only as Wachiraya, and rushed him to ViMUT Hospital.
During questioning, Mr Wachiraya told police that he had entered the expressway from Ngam Wong Wan Road but lost control of his car near the exit to Rama VI Road. As a result, his vehicle crashed through a concrete barrier and plunged 15 metres to the road below.
Police were reviewing surveillance video to determine the cause of the incident, and a blood alcohol test will be conducted on the driver.
In a separate accident that occurred around 7am in Photharam district of Ratchaburi, a six-wheel truck crashed into a power pole, resulting in death of the driver’s wife and injuries to the driver and their five-year-old son.
Police said the driver, Prayun Thaisuay, 49, and his son were rescued from the wreck and sent to Photharam Hospital. The mother, Sirinapa Phromtao, 46, was found dead in a hammock in the back of the vehicle.
Rescue workers took about 30 minutes to remove the woman’s body and deliver her for an autopsy.
The family was travelling from Kanchanaburi to Nakhon Pathom at the time of the accident. According to investigators, the crash occurred when the driver fell asleep at the wheel and missed a turn.
The scene has been identified as a site with a history of frequent road accidents, including a recent collision involving a motorcycle and the same power pole.
A six-wheeler struck a power pole in Photharam, Ratchaburi on Saturday morning, resulting in one death and two injuries. (Screen capture)