Picture from responders.

 

A crash in the early hours of 22 February saw an oil tanker carrying 43,000 litres of diesel overturn on a curve, leaving the driver dead at the scene. Emergency crews rushed to prevent further hazards, including a potential fire or fuel spillage.

 

At approximately 03:30, Police Lieutenant Thitiphat Khamransi, an investigator at Mueang Chaiyaphum Police Station, received a report from the 191 emergency radio centre regarding a tanker truck incident. The crash occurred on Highway 201, outbound from Chaiyaphum towards Kaeng Khro, near a hatchery factory in Ban Sap Ruang Sai, Na Siao Subdistrict. Police and rescue teams from Sawang Kunnatham Foundation, along with fire trucks from Na Siao Subdistrict Administrative Organisation, were dispatched to the scene.

 

Upon arrival, authorities found a articulated tanker, registered in Bangkok, overturned. The vehicle had veered off the road and flipped onto its roof, emitting a strong smell of diesel fuel.

 

Rescue workers discovered the driver trapped inside the wreckage. Using hydraulic cutting tools, they extracted the body of Mr Suthipong Thawon, 40, a resident of Kho Hong Subdistrict, Hat Yai District, Songkhla. He had suffered a broken neck and was pronounced dead at the scene.

 

According to emergency responders, the crash site is located on a downhill curve, and initial assessments suggest the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel. The vehicle is believed to have lost control, veered off the road, and overturned into a roadside ditch. Fortunately, no sparks or flames ignited the fuel, averting a potential disaster.

 

Authorities quickly coordinated with the truck’s operating company to arrange for a transfer of the remaining diesel and prevent environmental contamination. A water truck was stationed nearby as a precautionary measure against potential fires.

 

Police have launched an investigation into the incident, including reviewing CCTV footage from nearby areas to determine the exact cause of the crash.

 

The company responsible for the tanker sent cranes and recovery vehicles to remove the fuel and wreckage.

-- 2025-02-23

 

 

These nightly transports are extra dangerous.

Fallen asleep at 3:30 is so likely.

The road condition in the area is perfect.

A slight slope and a wide curve.

(drove there on last Sunday, a big CPF hatchery there).