Driver Escapes After Car Crashes into Canal in Bang Kuntian

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture from responders.

 

A driver narrowly escaped injury after his car skidded off the road and plunged into the canal in Bang Kuntian, Chom Thong district, Bangkok, on 22nd December.

 

Police Lieutenant Colonel Karawit Supathat of the Bang Kuntian Police Station received a call about a car crash near the Bang Kuntian Canal Bridge, Bangkok. Responding to the incident, authorities, including the local fire service, rescue workers from the Dao Kha Nong Foundation, and members of the Poh Tek Tung Foundation, rushed to the scene.

 

Upon arrival, they found the white Honda Brio fully submerged in the 10-meter wide canal. The driver, a man employed as a waste collection worker at the Klong San District Office, was trapped inside. Local residents, who had witnessed the crash, managed to break open the window and help free the driver, who suffered minor injuries. He was quickly taken to Suksawat Hospital for treatment.

 

At the scene, officials discovered damage to the concrete curb of the canal’s edge, indicating that the vehicle had likely brushed against it before falling into the water.

 

Firefighters used air pillows to stabilise the vehicle, followed by a crane to retrieve it from the water, which took approximately two hours. The car’s front bumper was severely damaged, and the left front wheel was broken, suggesting that the driver had collided with the curb before plunging into the canal.

 

Witness Narit Suwansit, 30, recalled the moment the accident occurred. He was fishing with friends and family when he heard a loud crash. “At first, I thought it was something else, but then I saw the car hit the pier and plunge into the water,” Narit said. “I quickly told my friend to grab a stone and smash the window to help the driver. We managed to pull him out, and I called for emergency services.”

 

Narit, who understands the importance of having a vehicle for work, expressed satisfaction at being able to help. “I know what it’s like to rely on a car, so when I saw someone in trouble, I had to help.”

 

According to the driver’s neighbour, Somkid Akka, 40, the injured man typically left for work around 4 a.m. and returned home by late afternoon. Somkid believes the accident may have been caused by the driver speeding and possibly shifting into the wrong gear while attempting a U-turn at the crash site.

 

Police have yet to determine the exact cause of the crash and plan to summon the driver for further questioning. Investigations are ongoing.

 

-- 2024-12-23