Fatal Collision on Motorway: One Dead in Chachoengsao

Picture from responders.

A crash occurred on the morning of 27 December 2024, as the ‘10 Days of Danger’ road safety campaign kicked off in Chachoengsao, leading to one fatality on the Motorway Route 7. The incident involved a collision between two container trucks.

At approximately 05:15, police received reports of a crash involving two articulated trucks, a 22-wheel container truck and an 18-wheel truck, at a rest area on the inbound side of the motorway, near kilometre 49+800-900 in the Kaodin area of Bang Pakong district. Officers responded to the scene and confirmed the death of one individual, while another sustained injuries.

The crash occurred after the first container truck, a white UD model with a red container, had initially collided with the rear of a pickup truck. The truck was then parked on the hard shoulder for insurance negotiators to arrive. As the driver of the truck was inspecting the vehicle, another 18-wheel truck collided with the rear of the stationary vehicle, crushing the victim, identified as 46-year-old Chaiyana Jaikla from Chonburi. The impact was so severe that the victim’s body was pinned under the chassis of the truck, resulting in an instant death at the scene.

The driver of the second truck, Visanu Wongrod, 37, from Nakhon Sawan, was slightly injured in the collision. He was rescued from his vehicle by volunteers from the Chachoengsao Rescue Foundation, who used hydraulic tools to free him from the wreckage. Visanu, who had been driving from Laem Chabang, Chonburi, was en route to Samut Sakhon at the time of the crash. He reported that he did not see the stopped vehicle in time, as it was still early morning, and attempted to brake, but the heavy load of his truck prevented him from stopping in time.

Following the accident, Visanu was tested for alcohol use, and authorities will proceed with an investigation to determine whether driving under the influence was a factor.

Traffic in the area was severely disrupted, with a long queue of vehicles stretching for several kilometres as authorities cleared the wreckage and investigated the cause of the collision. Local police have launched an inquiry into the sequence of events and are continuing to piece together the details of this devastating crash.

-- 2024-12-28