Driver Killed as Car Crashes into Electricity Pole

[Georgealbert]

 

Pictures from responders.

 

A crash occurred on the evening of 21 January when a car driver lost control, veered off the road, and violently crashed into an electricity pole, almost splitting it into two. The driver, a 59-year-old man, lost his life at the scene, trapped inside the tangled wreckage.

 

At 19:00, Police Lieutenant Sutthas Majeaw, Deputy Inspector at Cha-am Police Station, received a report of the accident along Phetkasem Road, inbound, near kilometre marker 179 in Don Khun Huay Subdistrict, Cha-am. Emergency responders, including a medical team from Cha-am Hospital and rescue personnel from the Sawang Sanphech Dharma Foundation, were dispatched immediately.

 

Upon arrival, authorities discovered a severely mangled Toyota car (registration from Bangkok) lodged around the electricity pole. The impact had wrapped the car around the pole and scattered personal belongings and documents across the scene. The driver, identified as Mr. Thanakorn, a resident of Wang Manow Subdistrict, Pak Tho District, Ratchaburi, was found crushed against the steering wheel inside the wreckage.

 

Using hydraulic cutters, rescue workers extracted Mr. Thanakorn’s body from the wreckage. CCTV footage revealed that the car had been travelling normally along the road before suddenly losing control, veering off, and crashing into the pole at speed. Authorities suspect the driver may have experienced either a sudden medical issue or fallen asleep at the wheel.

 

Rescue teams noted that the pole had tilted due to the impact, with wires pulled down around the wreckage. To prevent further hazards, two large cranes were called in to stabilise the pole before the vehicle could be safely removed. The incident caused significant traffic congestion, with vehicles backed up for several kilometres.

 

The body was transported to Cha-am Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Police are continuing their investigation into the crash and will coordinate with the driver’s family for funeral arrangements.

 

 

-- 2025-01-22

 

[Geoffggi]

Sad for the loss of life but he must have been going like a bat out of hell to cause such damage. - RIP to the driver

[lordgrinz]

Do you have any idea how fast you have to go to do that much damage?! Good God, SLOW DOWN!

[JoePai]

The crumple zones do not seem to be effective

[Briggsy]

The photos are post-hydraulic cutter but I take your point.

[lordgrinz]

1 minute ago, Briggsy said:

The photos are post-hydraulic cutter but I take your point.

 

The first picture is them extracting the driver/passenger, the car is literally wrapped around the pole! That takes some serious amounts of speed to accomplish that, just insane!

[Briggsy]

Oh, I see. I notice too it is Phetkasem Highway. The insanity of speeding on that road is something else.

[steven100]

3 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

CCTV footage revealed that the car had been travelling normally along the road before suddenly losing control, veering off, and crashing into the pole at speed. 

 

A contradiction of terms .....    if the car is travelling normally .....  it won't crash into a pole at speed. 

 

I'll take ' driving too fast '  for 500 thanks Tony .   

[rocketboy2]

Driving at speeds to do that sort of damage.

All I can say is.

Hope the electric pole recovers.

It could have been your family he hit.

 

[dddave]

A car doesn't actually have to be travelling that fast to create a huge amount of damage in a direct collision.  A 1500kg sedan travelling at 50 kph (30mph) has almost 150,000 J of kinetic energy.  That's more than enough to total any car.

[Digitalbanana]

 

6 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Using hydraulic cutters, rescue workers extracted Mr. Thanakorn’s body from the wreckage.

3 hours ago, Briggsy said:

The photos are post-hydraulic cutter but I take your point.

 

The photos look pre - hydraulic cutters to me. You can still see the dead drivers mid torso second photo.

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, rocketboy2 said:

Driving at speeds to do that sort of damage.

All I can say is.

Hope the electric pole recovers.

It could have been your family he hit.

 

Yes, lucky he didn't take out someone else

[Peterphuket]

5 hours ago, JoePai said:

The crumple zones do not seem to be effective

There are no crumple zones in the middle of a car, but maybe an idea for cars used in LOS.

[HK MacPhooey]

6 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

Sad for the loss of life but he must have been going like a bat out of hell to cause such damage. - RIP to the driver

Missed the part that said the driver was of the Christian faith🤔

[digger70]

6 hours ago, JoePai said:

The crumple zones do not seem to be effective

What? looks it's crumpled pretty good. 🙏

[spidermike007]

Telephone poles, trees and concrete barriers tend to be very unforgiving, and they must be avoided at all costs! 

[trainman34014]

RIP that Man; those 'Magnetic' Power poles claim another Victim.    Thai's never seem to learn that 'Speed Kills'  !

[jonbsails]

Instead of claiming the report is a lie, I am going to accept he was traveling at a normal rate, as noted in the article. Whatever the speed limit may be, if you're going 68 kph that is plenty enough to do that kind of damage. And that is just a smidge over 40 mph...relatively slow. I Pray for the family. They lost their breadwinner. That can be awful consequences in a nation such as Thailand, no disrespect intended. I take a taxi almost exclusively.

Once, in Bangkok, I took a motorcycle taxi from my lawyers office. THAT is something I will never do again. I weigh 100 kgs, so his front wheel when going slow was almost off the ground. I was in my mid 60s and that was about as frightened as I have ever been. 

[SiSePuede419]

17 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

the car had been travelling normally along the road before suddenly losing control

Ahhh.

I think I see the problem. 😀