Nakhon Ratchasima: 63 Year Old Man Dies in Pickup Truck Collision

[Georgealbert]

 

 

A 63 year old man tragically lost his life when his pickup truck collided with an 18-wheeler and became lodged underneath the trailer. The crash occurred at approximately 20:10 on November 15 near a U-turn on the Phimai-Market Khae Road in Tharn Prasat Subdistrict, Non Sung District, Nakhon Ratchasima.

 

Local police from the Non Sung Police Station, along with the Hook 31 Korat rescue team, rushed to the scene. Upon arrival, rescuers found a heavily damaged silver Toyota pickup truck wedged beneath the trailer of the 18-wheeler. 

 

The driver of the pickup, identified as Mr. Chatchai, a 63-year-old resident of Sattahip District, Chonburi Province, was trapped inside the wreckage and had died instantly. Rescuers used hydraulic cutting tools to retrieve his body, which was sent to Non Sung Hospital for a formal autopsy.

 

Mr. Chusak 60, the driver of the 18-wheeler, recounted the incident. He stated that his truck was fully loaded with salt, and he was in the process of making a U-turn when the pickup truck approached at high speed. The pickup collided directly with the trailer, becoming wedged underneath. The force of the collision caused the driver of the pickup to suffer massive upper body and head trauma.

 

Authorities are reviewing CCTV footage from the area and examining evidence at the scene to determine the exact cause of the collision. Mr. Chusak is also being interviewed further as part of the investigation.

Picture from responders.

-- 2024-11-17

 

[Gottfrid]

I can take a while for a fully loaded salt trailer to make a u-turn. Clearly the pick-up driver was already blind before the incident.

[AndreasHG]

Median U-turns, a feature of multilane highways in Thailand, keep on killing people.

 

It is one of the most dangerous (and most idiotic) road features ever conceived by human mind, forcing vehicles to slow down in a fast traffic line first, and then to start moving intersecting a second fast traffic line.

 

I wonder why not convert them into roundabouts. They are much safer, not overwhelmingly expensive to build and, wherever they have been implemented, greatly contributed to make roads safer and save human lives.

 

[richard_smith237]

4 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

I can take a while for a fully loaded salt trailer to make a u-turn. Clearly the pick-up driver was already blind before the incident.

 

- Hi speed...

- Poor lighting,

- no / poor side lighting on the truck

- no 'side barriers' on the truck (to prevent a vehicle lodging underneath it)

 

But, worse of all - the existence of these lethal U-Turns in the first place...

So many deadly accidents occurring on fast roads that have U-Turns directly from and into the 'fast lane' of traffic... 

 

 

The complete absense of  lighting of these interprovincial roads is frightening - I recall driving on a highway in the pitch dark, a new car, excellent headlights, very little tint.... and I had to slow down due to how dark the road ahead was (not out-driving my visibility)...  then every couple of mins or so another car screams past...   if something was in the road, it would have been impossible to stop by the time their headlights caught it.

 

I never drive or travel any interprovincial road in Thailand anymore at night because of this. 

[NoDisplayName]

I'm familiar with this area.

 

Pickup driver would have just left the Talat Khae 60 kmh zone, beginning 4 lane undivided highway now 80 kmh.

 

Trucks u-turn there because a concrete divider begins about 250m before the salt factory entrance, preventing drivers from turning right.

 

Not an official u-turn, as highway markings there are a double yellow line with yellow stripes.

 

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@15.2461778,102.4254482,3a,67.2y,103.4h,84.43t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1suvV3qpCe6QhGKCd8I8zZKw!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D5.569469012013101%26panoid%3DuvV3qpCe6QhGKCd8I8zZKw%26yaw%3D103.40415777546023!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTExMy4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

 

[richard_smith237]

32 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

Not an official u-turn, as highway markings there are a double yellow line with yellow stripes.

 

 

So authorities put barriers up to prevent trucks making right hand turns and causing this sort of incident in the first place... 

... but instead, created a greater hazard with the trucks u-turning instead 250m down the road......  

 

So very typical of Thai attitudes to road safety - no bigger picture thinking... 

 

What do authorities expect trucks who want to head in the 'other direction' do ??? - they're going to have to turn at some point. 

 

It would be far safer to allow the original turn from the Salt Factory and have the area very well lit.

 

 

Instead they put up a sign !!! warning drivers of turning vehicles... 

But look where the sign is positioned, not further up the road, but at the point vehicles U-turn !!!

 

As if simply putting up a sign makes things safer...  "Look, we put up a sign, so if you drive into the side of a turning truck in the pitch black, its your own fault" !!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NoDisplayName]

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

It would be far safer to allow the original turn from the Salt Factory and have the area very well lit.

 

Poor planning.

 

But there are streetlights at the u-turn area, straight section of road, good visibility, very light traffic.  No excuse for hitting a semi.

 

Coming from the other direction is a long, blind curve ending just before the salt factory entrance.  Trucks turning right at that spot would be even more hazardous.

[richard_smith237]

2 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

Poor planning.

 

But there are streetlights at the u-turn area, straight section of road, good visibility, very light traffic.  No excuse for hitting a semi.

 

Coming from the other direction is a long, blind curve ending just before the salt factory entrance.  Trucks turning right at that spot would be even more hazardous.

 

Fair point.. But the entrance to the Salt-factory is surely far enough away from the curve in the road for that to be a hazard (see below).

 

Were the street lights on ? (at the U Turn) - In the Op is looks like one is on, while another is not - so its not clear how good the visibility is. 

 

The reason I wont drive at night (outside of the city) is due to such poor visibility and lighting.

I read of so many stories about cars hitting unlit road works etc... and a vehicle hitting a u-turning truck (side on) at night its not an uncommon story to be read on this forum, so I wonder how often it occurs and we don't read about it.

 

U Turns are far more dangerous than a right turn - the trucks are going to have to turn somewhere if they want to go in the other direction.

 

 

 

 

 

[NoDisplayName]

As you look up 206 in your photo, you can see the curve 'bout 250m further on.

 

At the beginning of the curve, vehicles have just left the 60kmh urban area, and are now in the 80kmh free-fire zone.  They will be doing well over 90 to make up for lost time.

 

They're not likely to notice a turning semi as they come out of that curve at speed while scrolling through their tiktok feed.

 

I've driven that road at times.  At shift change, pedestrians attempt to cross the road on a zebra crossing (still 80kmh!) at the factory entrance.

 

Insane.

[richard_smith237]

16 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

As you look up 206 in your photo, you can see the curve 'bout 250m further on.

 

At the beginning of the curve, vehicles have just left the 60kmh urban area, and are now in the 80kmh free-fire zone.  They will be doing well over 90 to make up for lost time.

 

Its an interesting connundrum - how to make the area safer... 

 

 

To continue the discussion with you:

Wouldn't the traffic also be making up for lost time at well over 90 kmh at the point the trucks U-Turn ???

I would assume that 250m is easily enough distance to slow down IF the area is well lit.. (even with a flashing orange amber light). It seems to me that to avoid a dangerous situation, they have created an even more dangerous situation.

 

16 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

They're not likely to notice a turning semi as they come out of that curve at speed while scrolling through their tiktok feed.

 

Indeed - they don't notice a U-Turning lorry either - at least a turning lorry is out of the way faster than a U-Turning lorry.

Neither is a safe situation, but where else can the lorries head in the other direction ??? (its either a right hand turn or a U-Turn somewhere).

 

16 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

I've driven that road at times.  At shift change, pedestrians attempt to cross the road on a zebra crossing (still 80kmh!) at the factory entrance.

 

Insane.

 

Yep... as usual, something better could be done instead of 'kicking the can down the road' literally and figuratively.

[NoDisplayName]

29 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Its an interesting connundrum - how to make the area safer... 

 

To continue the discussion with you:

Wouldn't the traffic also be making up for lost time at well over 90 kmh at the point the trucks U-Turn ???

I would assume that 250m is easily enough distance to slow down IF the area is well lit.. (even with a flashing orange amber light). It seems to me that to avoid a dangerous situation, they have created an even more dangerous situation.

 

Indeed - they don't notice a U-Turning lorry either - at least a turning lorry is out of the way faster than a U-Turning lorry.

Neither is a safe situation, but where else can the lorries head in the other direction ??? (its either a right hand turn or a U-Turn somewhere).

 

Yep... as usual, something better could be done instead of 'kicking the can down the road' literally and figuratively.

 

Not as much, or at least not in the same way.  Thai drivers like to drive, IMO, just like they see on the TV.  They've seen Fast & Furious, they've watched F1, and now everyone wants to be one of the Duke boys.

 

It appears they speed up in the blind curves, maybe cause it feels faster or cooler, I dunno.......but they don't slow down.  At least there's a 1/2-km straightaway from the curve to the u-turn zone.

 

But no excuse for coming from the other direction.  It's a straight shot for 1-2 km from the village A2 junction to where the trucks turn.

 

 

[richard_smith237]

3 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

Not as much, or at least not in the same way.  Thai drivers like to drive, IMO, just like they see on the TV.  They've seen Fast & Furious, they've watched F1, and now everyone wants to be one of the Duke boys.

 

It appears they speed up in the blind curves, maybe cause it feels faster or cooler, I dunno.......but they don't slow down.  At least there's a 1/2-km straightaway from the curve to the u-turn zone.

 

But no excuse for coming from the other direction.  It's a straight shot for 1-2 km from the village A2 junction to where the trucks turn.

 

 

Where would you suggest the truck turn ???

 

 

 

[NoDisplayName]

19 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Where would you suggest the truck turn ???

 

 

 

 

I'm no highway engineer, but i kinda like the spot where they do the u-turns now.

 

Looking at the googles, the salt factory property extends to the u-turn spot, where there is dirt farm road that joins the highway, running between salt factory property and rice fields.

 

A small frontage road could be run to that spot with a large enough turning area for trucks to get perpendicular to the highway before turning.  That would be minimum 500 meters from the end of the blind curve, in a well-lit straight stretch.

 

Maybe add some flashing lights and some rumble strips, and drop the speed limit to 60 for the entire highway.  Speed is only increased to 80 for about 3km, and there's another official u-turn in the middle of that, heavily used by container trucks and sugarcane dual-trailers.

 

Might also work on the traffic light timing coming off the main highway.  The times I've gone that way (honey-bunny has relatives in Phimai), if you miss the green, you've got a 5-minute wait at the red.  In addition, you've got loads of drivers that choose to "double-park" at the light instead of getting in single-file line.  Results in some drivers that follow the rules missing the next green, so lots of aggression coming out each time the floodgates open.

 

How's that for an amateur?

 

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@15.2453564,102.4253454,353m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m1!1e4?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTExMy4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

 

[richard_smith237]

23 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

I'm no highway engineer, but i kinda like the spot where they do the u-turns now.

 

Looking at the googles, the salt factory property extends to the u-turn spot, where there is dirt farm road that joins the highway, running between salt factory property and rice fields.

 

Agree - that would be much better...  Along with lights and rumble-strips as you pointed out.

 

23 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

How's that for an amateur?

 

Better than the so called 'road engineers' if even such a job exists here to the same degree we'd expect in the west.

 

It often appears to me that roads here seem to be designed by people who don't drive. 

 

[NoDisplayName]

But in the end, nothing will matter.  No amount of roadway design or safety devices will lower the death toll appreciably.

 

Not when there is no driver education.

Not when there is no enforcement of traffic or safety laws.

Not when an amulet trumps wearing a seat-belt or driving sober.

 

Let's say we complete all the suggested revisions.  Local idiot in a pickup will still be driving 100kmh in a 60 zone scrolling through his facebook feed, as a truck driver pulls onto the highway without looking first.

[hotchilli]

On 11/17/2024 at 2:24 AM, Georgealbert said:

A 63 year old man tragically lost his life when his pickup truck collided with an 18-wheeler and became lodged underneath the trailer. The crash occurred at approximately 20:10 on November 15 near a U-turn on the Phimai-Market Khae Road in Tharn Prasat Subdistrict, Non Sung District, Nakhon Ratchasima.

No need for words, the photo says it all. 

[NoDisplayName]

***UPDATE***

 

Wife and sister drove by the accident site today, still many pieces of the the former pickup strewn about.

 

But the highway department has fixed the problem.  They've installed a line of yellow metal pole barriers stretching all the way from the main highway intersection to the beginning of the concrete barrier where the trucks were U-turning.

 

These are ~10cm metal pipes, about 1-meter high, spaced every 8-10 meters in the median.  Cars and small trucks can turn, but semis cannot.

 

Problem solved!!

 

Now the loaded salt trucks won't have to do a U-turn 250m from the plant entrance, on a lightly-traveled highway if they want to turn right to Phimai.

 

NOW they have to drive to the Talat Khaen junction, turn left on the heavily-travelled A2 highway, drive ~3km south to the first official U-turn, do a U-turn into heavy traffic, come back ~3km to the junction, and wait up to 5 minutes at the red light with a very limited turn lane.

 

Well, unless they use one of the two illegal U-turn spots on the A2 within the village area just past the junction.   But they would never do that.  Never.

 

This will end well!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

NOW they have to drive to the Talat Khaen junction, turn left on the heavily-travelled A2 highway, drive ~3km south to the first official U-turn, do a U-turn into heavy traffic, come back ~3km to the junction, and wait up to 5 minutes at the red light with a very limited turn lane.

 

Well, unless they use one of the two illegal U-turn spots on the A2 within the village area just past the junction. 

 

 

Their knee jerk reaction has kicked the can down the road (literally and figuratively)...  and created a greater danger elsewhere.... 

 

Your initial suggest or re-routing the exit from the Salt Factory seems a sensible solution, but it seems authorities are incapable of bigger picture thinking and lazily pursue half measures instead. 

 

How long before someoene else is killed hitting U-Turning truck on a busier road ??? 

 

... no one really cares at all - this is so very apparent in these situations. 

 

 

[NoDisplayName]

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

Their knee jerk reaction has kicked the can down the road (literally and figuratively)...  and created a greater danger elsewhere....

 

NIMBY.

[still kicking]

On 11/17/2024 at 4:58 PM, AndreasHG said:

Median U-turns, a feature of multilane highways in Thailand, keep on killing people.

 

It is one of the most dangerous (and most idiotic) road features ever conceived by human mind, forcing vehicles to slow down in a fast traffic line first, and then to start moving intersecting a second fast traffic line.

 

I wonder why not convert them into roundabouts. They are much safer, not overwhelmingly expensive to build and, wherever they have been implemented, greatly contributed to make roads safer and save human lives.

 

I am back in the west live in a city with 2 million population only seen one U-turn in my entire life and that on a small street and not on a highway 

[NoDisplayName]

***UPDATE v2.0***

 

Just drove past the salt factory.

This was about 6pm, in the dark.

Streetlights on, but not particularly well lit.

 

There was a loaded double-trailer rig doing a U-turn at the spot of the recent fatal accident, trying to negotiate the newly installed barrier posts.

 

Hub of untrainable.

[BangkokReady]

On 11/17/2024 at 3:58 PM, AndreasHG said:

I wonder why not convert them into roundabouts. They are much safer, not overwhelmingly expensive to build and, wherever they have been implemented, greatly contributed to make roads safer and save human lives.

 

Possibly they think that Thais will just ignore the roundabout rules and just continue as is, albeit with a slight deviation to go around the island.

[BangkokReady]

50 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

Hub of untrainable.

 

I think it's just that road rules are such a non-thing in Thailand, Thai people have to be prevented by some sort of physical barrier, otherwise they just do whatever they want.

[NoDisplayName]

24 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

 

I think it's just that road rules are such a non-thing in Thailand, Thai people have to be prevented by some sort of physical barrier, otherwise they just do whatever they want.

 

they still haven't cleaned up the broken glass from the fatal accident, in the median between the double yellow lines.