Pictures courtesy of Matichon.

 

Three people have been killed and more than ten others injured after a fully-loaded ten-wheel lorry suffered brake failure and crashed into four pickup trucks on a mountain descent in Kanchanaburi province.

 

The crash occurred at 09:55 on 23 July, on Highway 323 between Thong Pha Phum and Sangkhlaburi, approximately 8 kilometres before reaching Sangkhlaburi town. The incident took place on a notoriously steep downhill stretch near Nong Lu subdistrict.

 

 

Police Lieutenant Colonel Jirapong Kerdrenu of Sangkhlaburi Police Station responded to the scene after receiving reports from the district radio centre of a serious collision involving multiple vehicles.

 

Emergency responders, including rescue workers from the Pitak Karn Foundation, staff from Sangkhlaburi Hospital, officers from the Department of Highways, Border Patrol Police Unit 134 and local good Samaritans, rushed to assist the victims amid continuous rain. Several of the injured were trapped inside the mangled wreckage and had to be carefully extracted.

 

According to reports, the lorry, registered in Chanthaburi, was descending the mountain road heavily laden with goods when its brakes failed. It slammed at high speed into a pickup truck ahead before careening into three more vehicles. The force of the impact left multiple pickups crumpled, with some thrown off the roadside and one resting atop concrete traffic barriers.

 

Scenes at the site showed the crushed cabin of one pickup, with at least one fatality trapped inside. Rescuers worked in challenging conditions to retrieve both the living and the deceased.

 

Authorities confirmed that three people were pronounced dead at the scene, while more than ten injured victims were transported to Sangkhlaburi Hospital for emergency treatment. The identities of the deceased have not yet been released.

 

The cause of the crash is under investigation, with mechanical failure, particularly brake malfunction, suspected. Police are expected to conduct a full inspection of the lorry and question the driver as part of ongoing inquiries.

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Matichon 2025-07-23

 

 

 

35 minutes ago, Georgealbert said:

with mechanical failure, particularly brake malfunction, suspected.

 

Funny, I suspect speeding and driving without due care and attention.

My guess - the brakes probably failed cos the driver was using brakes rather than gears  to slow his descent.

Using his brakes rather than his gearing to slow down. Brakes failed because he cooked them, piss poor driving skills, do they even have a CDL style certification here?

Been down this hill several times in my years here. If you follow trucks down the smell of overheating brakes is ever present. I prefer to follow them down as this type of accident is always going to happen considering drivers use of brakes rather than a lower gear.

4 hours ago, nausea said:

My guess - the brakes probably failed cos the driver was using brakes rather than gears  to slow his descent.

4 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

Using his brakes rather than his gearing to slow down. Brakes failed because he cooked them, piss poor driving skills, do they even have a CDL style certification here?

 

Agreed - IMO, in almost every brake failure incident on a steep hill here...    terrible driving skills and overcooking the brakes is the cause... 

 

 

4 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

The cause of the crash is under investigation, with mechanical failure, particularly brake malfunction, suspected. Police are expected to conduct a full inspection of the lorry and question the driver as part of ongoing inquiries.

 

Why do they always seem to place fault on the inanimate and safe face for the driver when such incidents are more-likely a 'human failure'... 

 

Can they check (investigate) that the driver 'over-cooked' the brakes ? is that level of knowledge or expertise here? 

 

Question the driver: "were you applying the brakes all the way down the hill, or did you use 1st gear to slow down" ???

 

Also - was the truck overloaded for the rating of the vehicle (and brakes) on such an incline ?

Good old brake failure nothing to do with going too fast