Accident Phatthalung: Village Deputy Chief Found Dead After Car Plunges into Canal

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Kaoded.

 

A 59-year-old assistant village headman has died after he veered his car off a winding road and overturned into a canal in Phatthalung Province. His body was discovered by local residents on the morning of 4 July, still seated behind the wheel.

 

At around 07:00, Pol. Lt. Wutthichai Saengchatri, the duty investigator at Khuan Khanun Police Station, was notified by a local resident of an overturned car submerged in the canal near the entrance to a slaughterhouse in Moo 1, Makok Nuea Subdistrict. The tip-off came after a morning jogger noticed the rear wheels of a car protruding from the water.

 

Emergency services rushed to the scene, where they found a gold Toyota Vios, registration number from Phatthalung, overturned and submerged. Only the rear wheels were visible above the waterline. Rescue personnel spent over 30 minutes carefully recovering the vehicle, fearing there might be a body trapped inside.

 

They discovered the lifeless body of Mr. Alongkorn, still gripping the steering wheel in his full official uniform. His hands were stiff, and he appeared to have died in the exact posture of driving. Identification documents and confirmation from relatives verified his identity.

 

Mr. Alongkorn served as assistant village headman of Moo 9, Sai Liap Village, in the same subdistrict. It is believed he was driving to visit his wife in Chai Buri Subdistrict, Mueang District, after finishing official duties, using a poorly lit, winding road that runs alongside the railway.

 

Initial investigations revealed no signs of braking at the scene. Authorities suspect he may have either fallen asleep or failed to negotiate a sharp bend, causing the vehicle to plunge into the canal and overturn. The site has no guardrails or bridge embankments.

 

Relatives told police they had tried to contact him repeatedly throughout the night after he left home in the evening but received no response. Concern grew when he failed to return home as usual. They began searching local routes but found nothing until the discovery was made in the morning by a passerby.

 

Authorities have stated that further inquiries will be conducted to determine the precise cause of the crash, including reviewing any nearby CCTV footage, examining the condition of the vehicle and interviewing anyone who had seen him earlier in the evening.

 

Mr. Alongkorn’s body has been sent to Khuan Khanun Hospital for autopsy before being released to the family for funeral rites.

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Kaoded 2025-07-05