NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: A pickup truck driver was killed and seven young children and a school bus driver were slightly injured when the two vehicles collided in Bang Khan district yesterday morning.
The crash occurred in front of the Ban Lam Nao post office and was reported at about 7.30am, said Pol Capt Bunlue Mian-o, deputy investigation chief at Bang Khan.
Emergency responders found a yellow bus belonging to Kanchanasuksa Pattanakarn School in Nakhon Si Thammarat on the road with severe damage to its front right side, he said.
There were also 12 young students, he said. Seven pupils and bus driver Sunan Rattanakhot, 58, were slightly injured and taken to hospital, he said.
About 30 metres away was a wrecked pickup truck with Trang licence plates, he said. The driver was found dead, trapped inside, he said.
Rescue workers used a hydraulic jack to pry open the door and release his body, he said. The driver was identified as Ekkachai Khwanbut of Krabi.
Police said the driver apparently lost control of his speeding vehicle, which crossed the centre line and hit the school bus head-on.