Truck driver falls asleep at the wheel and runs over pickup truck in Chonburi with family inside

[snoop1130]

PHOTO: Trikunnatham Rescue Team

 

A mother and father tragically passed away yesterday, with their young son and his aunt surviving with minor injuries, after a trailer truck driver fell asleep and ran over their vehicle while they were sitting in the emergency lane with warning signals flashing waiting for roadside assistance in the Mueang Chonburi district.

 

The Mueang Chonburi Police were notified of the accident yesterday afternoon (February 27th) on Sukhumvit Road in the Klong Tamru sub-district.

 

Emergency responders arrived at the scene to find a large white container truck sitting atop a smaller black pickup truck, as seen in the photos. The vehicle had been completely flattened and the response teams said it was a miracle that two people had survived relatively unscathed. Unfortunately, the parents of one of the survivors, a seven-year-old boy, both perished in the accident.

 

Two people were found deceased inside the pickup truck, Mr. Kankawee Pichitchonpan, 31, the driver, and Ms. Kannika Promthong who was the driver’s wife, sitting behind the driver’s seat.

 

The two survivors, who both suffered only minor injuries, were Ms. Nisarat Nuiplee, 54, the sister of the deceased woman, and a seven-year-old boy, the son of the deceased couple. His name was withheld due to editorial policy.

 

Full Story: https://thepattayanews.com/2022/02/28/truck-driver-falls-asleep-at-the-wheel-and-runs-over-pickup-truck-in-chonburi-with-family-inside-young-boy-survives-but-both-parents-killed/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2022-02-28

 

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[jacko45k]

As we see, not even safe from these reckless truck drivers when parked and stationary!

[RichardColeman]

Right, 20 years in prison starting point, company to pay 20 million to the kids for compensation, expenses and emotional distress.

 

But likelihood is the trucking company will try suing for slander and parking the cark in the wrong place !

 

The trailer-truck driver, Mr. Saksit Boonlaor, 28, reportedly told first responders, “I admit that I fell asleep at the wheel before running over the pickup truck.”

[realfunster]

Tragic.

 

Remember : in such circumstances (come rain or shine & particularly in LoS) if safe to do so, always exit your vehicle and move somewhere safer 50 meters away. 

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

As we see, not even safe from these reckless truck drivers when parked and stationary!

Two counts of manslaughter... 

[Pique Dard]

i'm REALLY sorry for saying this, but sometimes i can't help wondering if thai people really care about life! i've just watching a video on youtube: a so called baht bus in pattaya running the red lights at a junction just like that! 

 

 

[shady86]

Truck drivers here are either sleeping or terrorizing the roads by hogging the overtaking lanes with black smokes.

[Dmaxdan]

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

As we see, not even safe from these reckless truck drivers when parked and stationary!

Well I can't speak for the rest of the world but in the UK you are advised to vacate the vehicle in situations such as this.

 

[bluejets]

1 hour ago, realfunster said:

Tragic.

 

Remember : in such circumstances (come rain or shine & particularly in LoS) if safe to do so, always exit your vehicle and move somewhere safer 50 meters away. 

Would have been my natural instinct also....not only in Thailand but anywhere.

[RocketDog]

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

As we see, not even safe from these reckless truck drivers when parked and stationary!

To reiterate :

Any person within sight of a Thai road is in immediate danger of vehicular homicide.

 

Sure, we all have to use the roads but to believe ourselves to be even superficially safe could be a fatal mistake.

 

Choose your battles and battlefields carefully.

[Bangkok Barry]

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Right, 20 years in prison starting point, company to pay 20 million to the kids for compensation, expenses and emotional distress.

 

But likelihood is the trucking company will try suing for slander and parking the cark in the wrong place !

 

The trailer-truck driver, Mr. Saksit Boonlaor, 28, reportedly told first responders, “I admit that I fell asleep at the wheel before running over the pickup truck.”

But we never do find out what sentence they receive, do we. It would be very interesting to know. But the Thai way of thinking might be that the incident happened, it's in the past and nothing will change that so mai pen rai.

[cardinalblue]

This will continue unless he is fully prosecuted for his crime….and it is publicized 

[Bangkok Barry]

1 minute ago, RocketDog said:

To reiterate :

Any person within sight of a Thai road is in immediate danger of vehicular homicide.

 

I was nearly killed about a year ago, just standing beside the road outside my house. I was looking one way for one of my dogs and a pickup racing another came up behind me, so far over on the wrong side of the road that he was in the so-called bike lane and he came within a few centimetres of hitting me. He was so close I felt the heat of the engine. As you say, if you are anywhere near a road in Thailand your life is in danger.

[RocketDog]

55 minutes ago, Pique Dard said:

i'm REALLY sorry for saying this, but sometimes i can't help wondering if thai people really care about life! i've just watching a video on youtube: a so called baht bus in pattaya running the red lights at a junction just like that! 

 

 

I have come to the conclusion that many Thai drivers don't care if they kill or die themselves.

 

I'm not at all sorry to say that because that constant realization may one day save your life.

 

The only safe assumption to make is that all Thai drivers, from bicycles to tractor trailers, are on the roads with murderous intent in their minds.

 

Of course that's not true but the end result is the same from incompetence and indifference to those around them.

 

The threat of immediate termination tends to sharpen one's mind to danger.

[actonion]

Any vehicle in the hands of any Thai  can be classed as a Weapon..

 

Soi Dogs have more road  sense

 

Edited March 1, 2022 by actonion

[RocketDog]

Just now, cardinalblue said:

This will continue unless he is fully prosecuted for his crime….and it is publicized 

Would that this were true.

 

Actually all that would happen it that jails would be full to overflowing. And there must always be vacant cells to house those who disagree with the monarchy or the government.

 

Nothing will change here until the nationals tire of dying and killing each other.

[actonion]

1 minute ago, RocketDog said:

Would that this were true.

 

Actually all that would happen it that jails would be full to overflowing. And there must always be vacant cells to house those who disagree with the monarchy or the government.

 

Nothing will change here until the nationals tire of dying and killing each other.

Of course it will continue.... the Authorities are Thai, they drive / ride in the same  way,. they see no wrong in it       .I have heard Thai's  say of these accidents .."it's fate, it was meant to happen" with this type of brainpower (or lack of) nothing will ever change !!

[sammieuk1]

Those on the upper floors of condo's are the only ones left safe from a tidal wave of out of control inept drivers ????Rip

[Road Warrior]

manslaughter charge !!! i don't think so 

[Grusa]

1 hour ago, sammieuk1 said:

Those on the upper floors of condo's are the only ones left safe from a tidal wave of out of control inept drivers ????Rip

How big a truck would it take to bring down a condo block? Nowhere is safe, they even have 500' high cranes! And aeroplanes.!

[AhFarangJa]

Once again, maybe education would have prevented this. I was taught, and indeed have in the past, vacated the vehicle and climbed up the motorway embankment in the U.K. 

Rule 275 of the U.K. Highway code..................

Leaving a Vehicle after Breakdown on Motorway, You and any passengers should all exit the vehicle using the left-hand side doors. Try to move up the bank or wait behind the barrier instead.

Everyone (including children) should remain as far away as possible from the hard shoulder. This includes motorway nearside lanes and all carriageways.

R.I.P. to the innocent victims.....

[Peterphuket]

25 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

Once again, maybe education would have prevented this. I was taught, and indeed have in the past, vacated the vehicle and climbed up the motorway embankment in the U.K. 

Rule 275 of the U.K. Highway code..................

Leaving a Vehicle after Breakdown on Motorway, You and any passengers should all exit the vehicle using the left-hand side doors. Try to move up the bank or wait behind the barrier instead.

Everyone (including children) should remain as far away as possible from the hard shoulder. This includes motorway nearside lanes and all carriageways.

R.I.P. to the innocent victims.....

Yes, we know, but this are Thai, they learn nothing when they get driving lessons.

[mtls2005]

29 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

Leaving a Vehicle after Breakdown on Motorway, You and any passengers should all exit the vehicle using the left-hand side doors. Try to move up the bank or wait behind the barrier instead.

 

It looks like they were stopped on a bridge or overpass? (Or maybe they got pushed there?)

 

So venturing out of the car and along the road to a place of safety may have been more challenging.

 

But easy for me to  second-guess? 

[richard_smith237]

4 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

It looks like they were stopped on a bridge or overpass? (Or maybe they got pushed there?)

 

So venturing out of the car and along the road to a place of safety may have been more challenging.

In the UK the recommendation is to exit the vehicle and step up the embankment and away from the road.

 

But, that is not always possible - in this case it looks like they are on a raised road (or as mentioned above, an overpass or a bridge).

 

About 10 years ago my car broke down on the Expressway in Bangkok - there was no where to exit the vehicle too just a wall. 

I allowed the car to roll over as close to the left as possible, but even then getting out was too dangerous - I’d pulled over so car we couldn’t get out on the left side, getting out on the drivers side was too dangerous - I was uncomfortable staying in the car but there really was nothing else we could do. 

 

The police arrived very quickly - I was impressed - the Policeman parked his bike behind our car. That wouldn’t have stopped a sleeping truck driver though. 

 

Recovery were there quickly, had the car towed off the expressway quickly (it was a 4x4) so they had to put the rear wheels on a dolly. clearly a very dangerous job for the recovery guys. 

 

------

 

In this case - lorry driver fell asleep - tragic, avoidable (but this does happen quite a lot elsewhere) - at least Thai’s are becoming a lot more aware of this làp-noi... 

 

 

 

 

 

[goldenbrwn1]

The only place I drive is in Bangkok in gridlocked  rush hr traffic. Safety first ????????

[Mr Meeseeks]

I see even the rescuers in the photo are completely oblivious to any safety concerns either. 

 

Get the man a harness and lanyard <deleted>. 

[jacko45k]

7 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

Well I can't speak for the rest of the world but in the UK you are advised to vacate the vehicle in situations such as this.

 

I was thinking about this.... also presumably advised not to remain on the road either. Most people would not be keen to be out in the Thailand heat... but the cold and rain of the UK, maybe snow, is not pleasant either!

[hkt83100]

5 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

I’d pulled over so car we couldn’t get out on the left side

Would it have been possible to exit through the window?

[Maybole]

Many years ago, I travelled by bus from Don Muang to Chiang mai an eight hour trip. On arrival , I was horrified to see the driver gulp down a few pills, turn the bus round, load up again and set off back to Bangkok!

[Neeranam]

14 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

But we never do find out what sentence they receive, do we. It would be very interesting to know. But the Thai way of thinking might be that the incident happened, it's in the past and nothing will change that so mai pen rai.

You could find out with a bit of research. 

 

There is a Thai saying  -  arai ja gerd go hai mun gerd, which means whatever happens is meant to happen, Karma.  I've found that half the country's religious scholars  believe that Karma can be changed by doing certain things(like making merit) and the other half don't.