Driver Dozes Off on 18-Wheeler, Nearly Crashes into House in Kanchanaburi

Picture from responders.

In a harrowing incident during the evening of 10 March, on a busy provincial road, the driver of an 18-wheeler carrying sugar molasses reportedly fell asleep at the wheel, causing the vehicle to swerve onto the central median and collide with a street light, traffic sign, and ultimately the wall of a nearby house.

The accident crash along Saeng Chuto Road in Moo 9, Don Khamin subdistrict, Thamaka district, Kanchanaburi province. The truck, registered in Nakhon Pathom and en route from Ban Pong in Ratchaburi to Thamaka in Kanchanaburi, was captured on CCTV driving at high speed. Footage shows the vehicle suddenly climbing onto the median, striking a street light, and then careening across to smash into a traffic sign and the wall of a residential property, leaving significant damage in its wake.

A second CCTV camera, positioned on the opposite side of the road, clearly recorded the truck’s erratic movement. Remarkably, a car travelling from the opposite direction managed to brake in time, narrowly avoiding a collision that could have resulted in a pile-up.

Local residents, startled by the loud crash, quickly emerged from their homes to assess the situation. They reported that the truck had collided with the fence of a nearby house, causing the wall to collapse. The driver, who remained in the cab, appeared disoriented but was not physically injured.

Police from the Lukkai Patrol Station, accompanied by volunteer rescue teams, promptly attended the scene. Preliminary investigations suggest that the incident was likely caused by the driver falling asleep at the wheel. The driver has since was taken in for further questioning as authorities work to determine the precise circumstances behind the event.

-- 2025-03-12