Accident Motorcyclist Killed After Crane Snags Power Line in Ayutthaya

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture and video courtesy of Khaosod.

 

A 32-year-old man was killed on 4 May, when a high-voltage power line, torn down by a crane, fell onto a busy road and caused a fatal chain reaction involving a motorcycle and a pickup truck.

 

The incident occurred on the inbound Rojana Road at the Rojana Gate A traffic junction in Sam Ruean subdistrict, Bang Pa-in district, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province.

 

Police Lieutenant Thawon Saengsai, deputy investigator at Bang Pa-in Police Station, responded at approximately 10:35, to the emergency call. Upon arrival, rescue personnel found the victim, Mr Chalit, suffering from severe head injuries. He was given emergency first aid at the scene and rushed to Uthai Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

 

According to eyewitnesses, a crane truck, reportedly performing electrical maintenance work on the road’s central median, moved forward without lowering its boom. The extended boom snagged a high-voltage wire strung across the road, snapping it and sending it crashing onto the street.

 

At that very moment, Mr Chalit was riding his motorcycle past the junction. The loose cable caught his vehicle, causing him to lose control and fall onto the road and he was immediately run over by a pickup truck..

 

A nearby motorcycle taxi driver who witnessed the incident told police that the crane operator appeared to hastily pack up equipment and drive away from the scene after the wire was brought down.

 

Mr Worawat Yamoung, a rescue officer with the Puttaisawan Foundation, stated that when he arrived, the victim was unconscious and had lost a significant amount of blood. He and his team administered CPR before transferring the injured man to hospital.

 

Initial police investigations have led to the questioning of the pickup truck driver, while efforts are underway to locate and summon the crane operator for further inquiry. Authorities have identified the crane as belonging to a private company contracted to carry out electrical repairs in the area.

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJO3sZbMVh3/?igsh=aW5tdWx2N24xYTcz

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from ThaiRath 2025-05-05.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Gottfrid]

A helmet might have saved him

[impulse]

51 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

A helmet might have saved him

 

4 wheels, 2 tons of steel and seatbelts would have definitely saved him.

 

Yeah, yeah, I know.  Economic factors and all.  My heart sincerely goes out to him and his loved ones.  But this is yet another data point and cautionary tale for those of us who do have a choice. 

 

Stay safe out there.

 

 

[Gottfrid]

53 minutes ago, impulse said:

4 wheels, 2 tons of steel and seatbelts would have definitely saved him.

I don´t know about you are your age nor situation or knowledge. However, IMO, there are no problems riding motorcycles in Thailand. The only thing you need is common sense and experience. Sure, an accident like this is almost unavoidable, but a helmet probably would had helped him. Therein was the common sense.

[impulse]

4 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

I don´t know about you are your age nor situation or knowledge. However, IMO, there are no problems riding motorcycles in Thailand. The only thing you need is common sense and experience. Sure, an accident like this is almost unavoidable, but a helmet probably would had helped him. Therein was the common sense.

 

If you get hit by lightning (like the story last week), snag a downed power cable or get hit by a truck with no brakes, it doesn't matter how much experience and common sense you have.  You're a gone pecan on a scooter.  Probably just a minor irritation in a car or pickup.

 

Helmets improve your odds by about 40%.  4 wheels and seat belts improve your odds by a factor of 20-40.  Not 20-40%.  That's 20-40 times safer in a car than a scooter per km traveled.  2000-4000% safer.  That's what Oz and US studies determined.

 

 

[Gottfrid]

2 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

If you get hit by lightning (like the story last week), snag a downed power cable or get hit by a truck with no brakes, it doesn't matter how much experience and common sense you have.  You're a gone pecan on a scooter.  Probably just a minor irritation in a car or pickup.

 

Helmets improve your odds by about 40%.  4 wheels and seat belts improve your odds by a factor of 20-40.  Not 20-40%.  That's 20-40 times safer in a car than a scooter per km traveled.  2000-4000% safer.  That's what Oz and US studies determined.

 

 

Sure, I definitely do not doubt the research. An idiot can understand that sitting in a car when a accident happen is much safer that riding a motorbike. However, you have to consider the knowledge and attention that a Thai motorbike rider have compared to most foreign driver from the western world. After that you take downed power cable and thunder as that would be something to calculate with. Seriously, that´s so uncommon seen to the amount of riders. After that you have to consider the amount of bike riders compared to the amount of cars, trucks and other vehicles. By looking in you back mirrors and have control of the traffic in front of you, getting hit by a truck with no brakes are mostly avoidable. Please don´t make it soo much worse that it actually is.

[NoDisplayName]

3 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

The loose cable caught his vehicle, causing him to lose control and fall onto the road and he was immediately run over by a pickup truck..

 

A nearby motorcycle taxi driver who witnessed the incident told police that the crane operator appeared to hastily pack up equipment and drive away from the scene after the wire was brought down.

 

.

[brfsa2]

On 5/5/2025 at 6:48 AM, Gottfrid said:

A helmet might have saved him

 

no it would not, he was run over by a pickup while lying in the road. Do you know what that means, just try a bit harder to think?

[mancub]

On 5/5/2025 at 8:48 AM, impulse said:

The only thing you need is common sense and experience.

Nah, the only thing you need is a good Budda amulet.

[impulse]

2 hours ago, mancub said:

Nah, the only thing you need is a good Budda amulet.

 

Not a big deal, but the way the quote feature works with nested quotes, you attributed to me a statement that I didn't make.  Someone else did.

 

Personally, I'm a fan of 2 tons of steel and seatbelts for those of us who have that luxury.  That trumps common sense, experience, and even the best of helmets.  (Or even the best Amulet)

 

That said, I often take scooter taxis for the last mile.  But for anything over a few km, I'm either in a car, my pickup, the MRT or BTS or the Thai Railway System. Occasionally an intercity bus...

 

[richard_smith237]

OK... So crane carrying out work without safety protocols (watchman).

 

Motorcyclist doing nothing wrong - just riding, no helmet though. Maybe smaking his head on the ground is what killed him, before being hit by 2 tonnes of pickup !

 

Pick-driver following so closely he doesn't even have time to stop.

 

-------------

 

 

All of this is a perfect example of thailands haphazard attidues towards safety

Work being carried out on electrics - rushed, without correct safety measures in place. 

Motorcyclists - no helmet.

Pickup too close too fast behind the bike.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 5/5/2025 at 6:48 AM, Gottfrid said:

A helmet might have saved him

A pickup truck not driving over him may have saved him.

[richard_smith237]

35 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

On 5/5/2025 at 6:48 AM, Gottfrid said:

A helmet might have saved him

A pickup truck not driving over him may have saved him.

Arguably a combo of the both, or either…

But let’s spend the next 5 pages arguing over whether a helmet would have saved him or if the pickup might not or might have been the actual cause of fatality….

 

Lets delve right into the pedantic details with a degree of neuroticism some example with such finesse…. 😴

[Liverpool Lou]

51 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

On 5/5/2025 at 6:48 AM, Gottfrid said:

A helmet might have saved him

A pickup truck not driving over him may have saved him.

Arguably a combo of the both, or either…

But let’s spend the next 5 pages arguing over whether a helmet would have saved him or if the pickup might not or might have been the actual cause of fatality….

 

Lets delve right into the pedantic details with a degree of neuroticism some example with such finesse…. 😴

You carry on doing whatever you want, over however many pages you like. I simply made one rather relevant point, I was not arguing or attempting a delving, I'll leave that to you.

[mancub]

7 hours ago, impulse said:

Not a big deal, but the way the quote feature works with nested quotes, you attributed to me a statement that I didn't make.  Someone else did.

Oops, sorry, my bad....wasn't paying attention !🙂

[Gottfrid]

13 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

You carry on doing whatever you want, over however many pages you like. I simply made one rather relevant point, I was not arguing or attempting a delving, I'll leave that to you.

Who are you quoting?

[Gottfrid]

14 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Arguably a combo of the both, or either…

But let’s spend the next 5 pages arguing over whether a helmet would have saved him or if the pickup might not or might have been the actual cause of fatality….

 

Lets delve right into the pedantic details with a degree of neuroticism some example with such finesse…. 😴

Looks like you had to be a part of a discussion you as well. Does that mean you fit the narrative for your last row?

[Eloquent pilgrim]

 

R.I.P. fella; health and safety factors not withstanding, there was an awful lot of bad luck involved in your demise; condolences to family