Student hurt in high-speed songthaew mishap in Samut Prakan

[snoop1130]

A female student was injured after falling from a blue songthaew taxi that was reportedly speeding. The driver argues that the student jumped off the vehicle herself, while a witness said the driver didn't immediately help the injured girl.

 

The accident, which happened on Rattanarat Road near Bang Bo intersection in Samut Prakan, was caught on a CCTV camera. The footage showed the taxi making a sharp left turn, causing the standing student at the back to lose her balance and tumble onto the road. A car behind was able to brake in time to avoid a more serious incident.

 

Local motorcycle taxi drivers and other students quickly came to the injured girl's rescue. They worked with volunteers from the Ruam Katanyu Foundation at Bang Bo to get her to Bang Bo Hospital.

 

The 67-year-old songthaew driver, Sompong, told reporters that he had noticed the student standing at the back of the vehicle without holding on. He said he tried to signal her to move inside by tapping on the window, but she didn't. Sompong insisted that he was driving slowly and was not to blame for the accident.

 

However, another student on the taxi contradicted his account. According to that student, the driver was in fact speeding since they had left the school, and his sudden braking caused those standing in the back to stumble. The student added that it was the driver's sharp turn near the Bang Bo intersection that made the girl dizzy and fall from the taxi.

 

A local vendor near the accident location noted that the driver didn't check on the girl immediately after the accident. Instead, he continued to collect fares from other passengers before attending to the injured student. The vendor also stated that the driver seemed to be blaming the student for the accident.

 

Following the completion of his route, the driver was escorted back to the accident scene by police officers, who then took him to the police station for further questioning.

 

The incident has raised concern among locals about the reckless driving habits of songthaew drivers on this route, with many claiming that speeding, lane-cutting, and competition for passengers are common practices.

 

File photo for reference only

 

-- 2024-06-19

 

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