5 Songkran celebrants killed, 4 injured as pickup flips in Sa Kaew

By The Nation

 

 

Five teenagers were killed and four others injured when a speeding pickup truck returning from Sa Kaew’s Songkran celebration flipped and slid into a roadside ditch on Thursday night, police said.
 

Pol Colonel Setthanat Timwat, commander of Wang Nam Yen police station, said the accident happened at 9.50pm on Khao Chakan-Wang Nam Yen road about one kilometre from the Wang Nam Yen downtown.

 

 

Setthanat said three passengers died at the scene and another two died at the Wang Nam Yen district hospital.

The five deceased were identified as Thirachai Kaewprateep, 16, Pikanet Yuangpho, 17, Thirsak Phacharoen, 19, Siwakorn Banthit, 16, and Wutthipong Laothong, 17.

 

The four injured were identified as Aroon Boonmakul, 19, Thanakorn Sirimongkol, 19, Khathawut Thongkham, 19 and an unidentified teenage boy.

 

Two other passengers were unharmed.

 

Setthanat said police learned from relatives of the deceased and injured that the 11 teenagers were travelling home from celebrating Songkran in Sa Kaew’s Muang district.

 

The pickup was apparently speeding when it lost control and flipped when the driver swerved to the left to avoid a plastic barrier that had been placed in the road to create a temporary U-turn point. The pickup then flipped and slid into the ditch, said Setthanat.

 

The station commander said police had just stopped staffing an alcohol checkpoint on the road at 8pm. He said police will check whether the driver of the pickup had been drinking alcohol.

 

Sa Kaew’s Songkran celebration was held on Thursday, later than other provinces.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30343552

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-20

8 minutes ago, webfact said:

The pickup was apparently speeding when it lost control and flipped

With information like this, who can blame the driver.

RIP to the dead and hopefully the injured will live to tell the tale.

How horrible.

 

Is there a facebook live stream of the driver driver drinking whisky? 

 

RIP.

 

Tragic. Bunch of essentially kids wiped out on their way home from having a fun day out.

RIP to the five and a speedy recovery to the others.

I hope someone is made to explain why a traffic cone was left in the road, sometime after the police checkpoint had closed. Without it there, this almost certainly would not have happened.

One more imbecile on the roads here. and now a bunch of dead people.

This is most unusual. 

 

the plastic barrier was a left over from the police check point that was unmanned............

4 hours ago, webfact said:

He said police will check whether the driver of the pickup had been drinking alcohol.

So the driver survived... 

5 minutes ago, lucjoker said:

the plastic barrier was a left over from the police check point that was unmanned............

Umh, I think the OP says it was part of the arrangements for a temporary U turn lane...

The road is being widened to a dual carriageway all the way from Khao Chakan to Wang Nam Yen and lanes and U turns are all marked with large plastic blocks. I think that was what he swerved to avoid, nothing to do with police road block from earlier.

11 teenagers in a pickup the oldest 19 years of age so the driver had a lot of experience probably didn't even have a driving licence i feel sorry for the innocent ones  

20 minutes ago, JAG said:

Umh, I think the OP says it was part of the arrangements for a temporary U turn lane...

We have those everywhere here on Phuket also. Which shows how dangerous the general road design in Thailand is where police need to use traffic cones to allow for necessary u-turn spots.

 

Sometimes to cones are there, sometimes not, but they are never clearly visible and early indicated.

What you mean Bob12345 is that they should not have been driving at that speed & been prepared to slow down,,,,,,,, very tragic but a blood test will more than likely find a substantial amount of alcohol in the drivers bloodstream

Things here shall never change, unless the level of conscious awareness rises.. which is unlikely for a while it seems 

5 hours ago, ratcatcher said:

With information like this, who can blame the driver.

RIP to the dead and hopefully the injured will live to tell the tale.

As bad as it may seem to some, hopefully the driver paid the ultimate price! 

hmmm..... songkran= death on Thai roads

...The pickup was apparently speeding when it lost control...

 

Isn't it about time that the government stops manufacturing or importing vehicles that lose control!

5 people dead too late to fix anything bitching will no bring the dead  People, back to life may they RIP.

The Donkey Driver was speeding & as of today he has 5 dead people on his conscience,

Should be charged with manslaughter,

6 hours ago, webfact said:

police had just stopped staffing an alcohol checkpoint on the road at 8pm.

Checkpoint should continue to at least midnight.

All girls, if you don't understand Thai names. So sad.

Its endless at at a time when most families are re uniting and they  finish up grieving.

 

We know how road deaths can be reduced but there is no will to take action.

when was the last time you ever heard of some one saying,''i have had too much to drink ,im calling a cab '''or a bartender speaking up, or a friend stopping the drunk from getting behind the wheel,or passengers refusing to ride with a drunk..i spoke up a few years ago with my wifes family ,driver drunk,11people in the truck, 5  children in the  back, i said no way ..he was relentless with his ego ..we all watched as he drove away..we waited for a taxi.........the man still hates me to this day,it happened 12 years ago..

Edited April 20, 20188 yr by mok199
speliings

One term I never saw in these horrific stories is “designated driver”. If Thais learned that one person in the group must remain sober so that the others can be safely transported I am sure there will be less deaths. 

2 hours ago, Hooliganzone said:

11 teenagers in a pickup the oldest 19 years of age so the driver had a lot of experience probably didn't even have a driving licence i feel sorry for the innocent ones  

I feel sorry for all of them and their Loved ones.    

"Speeding pick up" ? I will never pity them. Too bad, there are collateral damages.

I drove this road recently, and yes the roadworks go on for miles, unfortunately there are no road markings or street lights yet,  and I saw plenty of those large plastic barrier things marking out various areas where heavy vehicles and current road road works were being done so not necessarily from an earlier police check point. I drove it in broad daylight and carefully as a lot has changed since I last used the road.

 

Sadly, an intoxicated, inexperienced driver was in charge of the vehicle with the resulting chaos that was bound to happen, very sad indeed and condolences to the bereaved families I hope that the injured recover their full health and that this Life Lesson makes them better drivers in the future, unfortunately I think I just wasted my time with that statement. 

Edited April 20, 20188 yr by Golden Triangle

6 minutes ago, Searat7 said:

One term I never saw in these horrific stories is “designated driver”. If Thais learned that one person in the group must remain sober so that the others can be safely transported I am sure there will be less deaths. 

correct...back in the day it was common to drive drunk..now through adds,education ,police presence ,serious fines,and shameing...it was turned around..drinking driving destroys so many lives...but thais just play the numbers game.....and what are the odds really million -1...the lottey of life

Edited April 20, 20188 yr by mok199
speliings

According to Thai tv this morning the pick up was doing 170km/hour,say no more .

It wasn't his fault - blame it on speeding where speeding is so normal here....

 

that has to change...he should be charged with manslaughter at the very least esp if alcohol involved...

was the driver killed??

RIP,,,,,,,Needless to say that Not all off them were in the  Ute/Pickup Cab. If the Government would have Upheld the Law  that has been there 40 +Years,That No people are Allowed to travel in the loading compartment of A  Ute/Pickup then many people would be Still Alive.  Amen