Truck Carrying Fresh Fish Crashes into Power Pole, Driver Killed on Impact

Picture from responders.

A driver of a ten-wheeler truck, carrying a full load of fresh fish, lost control and veered off the road, crashing into a power pole and breaking it in half. The driver was trapped inside the severely damaged cabin and died at the scene. Rescue workers had to use hydraulic tools to extract his body.

On February 8, Pol. Lt. Phairoj Wongthawin, an investigator from Sadao Police Station, received a report of a fatal collision involving a ten-wheeler truck. The crash occurred along Kanjanawanich Road in Ban Samnak Kham, Moo 1, Samnak Kham Subdistrict, Sadao District, Songkhla Province, on the inbound route to the Sadao border checkpoint.

Upon arrival, police and rescue teams found the truck, bearing Yala registration number, had veered off the road and struck a power pole. The vehicle also damaged a water pipe, causing water to flood the area. The truck’s cabin was wedged against another power pole, and some of the fish crates had fallen onto the roadside.

The driver, identified as Ekaphong Yanai, 38, from Ron Phibun District, Nakhon Si Thammarat, was found crushed inside the cabin. Rescue workers from multiple emergency response units, including Sanmakham Rescue, Maikhom Rescue, and Phatong Therdtham Rescue, spent over an hour using hydraulic cutters to free his body. His remains were later transferred to Padang Besar Hospital, and authorities contacted his family to claim his body.

Investigations revealed that the truck belonged to Chok Rompho Thong Transport Co., Ltd. and had been transporting freshly caught seafood from a fishing port in Pattani. The shipment was destined for Malaysia via the Sadao border checkpoint, which was just five kilometres away from the crash site.

Police suspect the driver fell asleep at the wheel, causing him to lose control, hit the roadside water pipe, break a power pole, and crash into another pole, leading to his death.

Authorities are reviewing CCTV footage and eyewitness reports to determine whether another vehicle was involved in the crash. Since government infrastructure was damaged, further investigations will be carried out before legal proceedings begin.

-- 2025-02-09