Four Die In Expressway Horror Plunge

[george]

ROAD TRAGEDY: Workers die in expressway horror plunge

Speeding vehicles collide, sending 4 men over safety rail

BANGKOK: -- Four men were killed yesterday morning when they were flung from the back of a pickup truck over the retaining wall of the elevated expressway and plunged several storeys to the hard concrete below.

Police said three others were seriously injured.

They said the four killed were riding in the back of a speeding Isuzu pickup which collided with a Honda sedan that was also travelling at high speed along the Bang Na-Bang Pakong elevated expressway. Police Major Savet Sornsamut of Expressway 4 police station said the impact slammed the pickup into the retaining wall, causing the four to be catapulted out of the vehicle to their deaths on Bangna Trad Highway 15 metres below.

The victims were identified as Sao Booncheun, 31, Kittisak Onnaichart, 30, Somkiat Noikam, 35, and Boonkerd Inchan, 31.

The driver of the Honda, Sasalak Chuthaporn, 40, was seriously injured and taken to Bangna 2 Hospital along with two other badly injured passengers from the truck.

The pickup driver, Boonchen Phakon, 43, said he and seven other construction workers from FG Steelworks Co were going to Chon Buri to install steel products in a factory.

"I was driving in the middle lane when a black car hit our truck's right side. I lost control of the truck and it crashed into the left-side retaining wall, causing four of our co-workers to fly out of the truck to their deaths on the road below," Boonchen said. He and Suchart Paosuang, 45, were slightly injured.

A worker on the back of the truck who narrowly escaped death, Sahanad Wittayavej, 28, said his colleagues had families but no one felt strong enough to tell them of the accident.

Police said no charges had yet been laid as further investigation was needed and the Honda driver was not in a condition to be interviewed.

--The Nation 2004-05-18

[taxexile]

what do you expect.

the thais cant assess risk.

the retaining walls are too low.

the government wont legislate to make driving safer

and the police are incapable of offering sensible advice to drivers or enforcing any legislation anyway.

[Dutchy]

BANGKOK: -- Four men were killed yesterday morning when they were flung from the back of a pickup truck over the retaining wall of the elevated expressway and plunged several storeys to the hard concrete below.

They fine people for not wearing a seatbelt but allow people on the back of pickup trucks... it's somehow not logical!

Dutchy

[KevinN]

Nothing here in the way of law enforcement is logical, especially in the way of traffic,,Just like toxin telling the police to stop giving tickets to taxi drivers,and the enforcement of hiway traffic laws,the police do not even obey the laws,they have no moving traffic law enforcement, I have driven or been driven many miles here and have never seen a hiway patrol car giving a ticket to anyone for any traffic infraction or even seen one on hiway patrol,the only ones I have ever seen were running blocker for some VIPs in a van or convoy going down the road.

And I was talking to a state cop in the mechanic shop getting some work done on our car, asked him about why the law again U turns by out house thru a safety zone at the end of a divided road island was not enforced,it is well marked and has caused a number or wrecks and a few deaths,he said " O we don't enforce that" seems like if it causes death that they would enforce it,especially since it is right in front of a police box.

[megashox]

From the Bangkok Post

....But the car driver said SHE was trying to overtake the truck, but the truck went out of control and hit HER car...

[MadFranky]

BANGKOK: -- Four men were killed yesterday morning when they were flung from the back of a pickup truck over the retaining wall of the elevated expressway and plunged several storeys to the hard concrete below.

They fine people for not wearing a seatbelt but allow people on the back of pickup trucks... it's somehow not logical!

Dutchy

yer, its just not cricket, why not force all passenger carrying pickups to be decked out the same as bat buses?

[astral]

BANGKOK: -- Four men were killed yesterday morning when they were flung from the back of a pickup truck over the retaining wall of the elevated expressway and plunged several storeys to the hard concrete below.

They fine people for not wearing a seatbelt but allow people on the back of pickup trucks... it's somehow not logical!

Dutchy

yer, its just not cricket, why not force all passenger carrying pickups to be decked out the same as bat buses?

This is Thailand.

The word Logic is not in the vocabulary.

[chingy_]

bunch of people sitting on the back of a pick-up truck going at high speed, sad story, they have to learn it the hard way, i wouldn't even let my dog sit back there.

[stumonster]

yer, its just not cricket, why not force all passenger carrying pickups to be decked out the same as bat buses?

lol.. why not force all drivers to learn to drive before giving them a licence?

though it is one of the easier ways to start a blue in the west... tell some bloke he does not know how to drive... watch the hackles come up

they might both have been on their mobile phones, doing their bit for mr T 's pocketbook...

[KevinN]

Could have been STU, but generally they will stop in the middle of the road to talk on the phone,at least my wife does.

A lot safer for her to stop in the roadway than try to drive and talk on the phone,cause you know they always gotta look at the screen to see who is calling. and it just ain't safe for a thai to talk and drive when it is impossible for them to run their mind in 2 directions at once,,they can't even chew gum and walk at the same time.

[thaimee]

From the Bangkok Post

....But the car driver said SHE was trying to overtake the truck, but the truck went out of control and hit HER car...

These excuses take some beating don't you think? LOL Thaimee.

[350torana]

I agree with the post about Thais not assesing risk . Maybe physics lessons for drivers should be compulsory. I always have to tell my mother in law to keep the baby, in the BABY SEAT! She has no idea of the consequences if we came to a sudden stop.One day I had to lose my nut at her(not the Thai way I know) because she took the baby on a motorcycle taxi .

[maerim]

i wouldn't even let my dog sit back there.

At least your dog has a choice even if the choice is made by you.

The poor unfortunates who were killed did not have a choice same as the thousands of other Thai's who are killed and injured every year on the roads going to work or at work.

There are very few safety measures here just look at the scaffolding on high rise buildings.

The reason it's like that is because it's cheap same as the health and safety laws here more or less non existant all in the name of cheapness.

Perhaps those that got killed did have a choice after all, like it or lump it.

[chingy_]

everybody have a choice to do what they chose, choosing the wrong choice will lead to disaster, choose the right choice you'll stay alive and choose another day.

[stroll]

Where have I read this argument before about people having a choice to do certain work and taking the risks that come with the job?

Applying the same here, I suppose one shouldn't complain about the workers falling off the truck- they were just to lazy to walk, they made their choice.

[meemiathai]

There's another choice. They should've lived in where they were working. No need to go home! Bad choice they made.

[kasi]

sounds like some pretty bad luck.

[megashox]

From the Bangkok Post

....But the car driver said SHE was trying to overtake the truck, but the truck went out of control and hit HER car...

These excuses take some beating don't you think? LOL Thaimee.

Yeah, guess the truck driver was just startled to see her overtaking him on the right side!