Picture courtesy of Khaosod.

 

An incident in Sa Kaeo province has claimed the life of a man and left his wife seriously injured after a large roadside tree toppled onto their motorcycle in the early hours of morning of the 8 September.

 

The incident occurred at around 05.15 on Highway 348, between Ban Makok and Ban Khok Phrek in Taphraya district, close to the Phlatsan shrine. According to reports, the couple were riding past when the tree suddenly fell, crushing them beneath its weight.

 

The husband, identified as 49-year-old Mr Panya, died instantly at the scene. His wife, Mrs Sakorn, a local resident of Taphraya, sustained serious injuries and was rushed by emergency services to Taphraya Hospital.

 

Authorities quickly moved in with heavy machinery to remove the fallen tree and restore traffic flow later in the day.

 

Local officials and residents have voiced frustration that repeated warnings about the danger of roadside trees had gone unheeded. Ananchai Phuphiluek, head of the Subdistrict Administrative Organisation of Thap Sadet, urged the Department of Highways to act decisively, noting that at least three more large trees in the same area are at risk of falling.

 

He also called on lawmakers to revise regulations so that landowners or local officials can remove hazardous trees more swiftly without lengthy approval processes.

 

Social media users also highlighted that the tree had shown signs of instability for some time, particularly after recent heavy rains had loosened the soil. “If authorities had removed it earlier, this tragedy could have been prevented,” one commenter wrote.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khaosod 2025-09-09

 

 

 

That's bad timing - what are the odds?

RIP (Mr) & get well soon (Mrs) 

Wonder whose responsibility  that tree will be?