Man Killed in Crash After Swerving to Avoid Fallen Sugar Cane

Pictures courtesy of Naewna

A 36-year-old male teacher was killed in a collision with a 10-wheel lorry after swerving to avoid sugarcane that had fallen onto the road in Chaiyaphum province on Thursday morning. The crash occurred at 9.05am on 15 January, resulting in the teacher’s death at the scene and triggering a police investigation into a fleeing trailer truck believed to be the cause.

Police said the crash took place on the Chaiyaphum–Nong Bua Daeng road, on a downhill stretch near the Chor Raka traffic light intersection in Na Fai subdistrict, Mueang district, Chaiyaphum. The road section is currently undergoing expansion works, which may have contributed to the hazardous conditions at the time of the crash.

According to police from Mueang Chaiyaphum station, officers and rescue workers arrived to find a pickup truck severely crushed at the front. Inside the vehicle was the body of Mr Phiphatphong, aged 36, a teacher at a local school, who had died after being trapped against the steering wheel.

Rescue teams used hydraulic cutting equipment to remove the body from the wreckage. The impact was described as severe, with the pickup reduced to twisted metal, highlighting the force of the collision.

A 10-wheel lorry involved in the crash was found with front-end damage. The driver, Mr Phot, aged 61, remained at the scene and appeared shaken as he provided a statement to police. Mr Phot told investigators he had been driving behind a sugarcane trailer that was overloaded, with cane stacked high above the body of the vehicle. Near the crash site, the rope securing the sugarcane reportedly snapped, causing large pieces of cane to fall and scatter across the opposite side of the roadway.

At that moment, the teacher’s pickup truck was travelling in the opposite direction. Police believe the victim attempted to swerve suddenly to avoid the fallen cane, lost control, crossed into the opposite lane and collided with the 10-wheel lorry.

The sugarcane trailer believed to have caused the obstruction fled the scene without stopping. During their investigation, officers later located a suspected trailer parked by the roadside not far from the crash site, with some sugarcane clearly missing from the load.

Naewna reported that police have seized the suspected vehicle and will summon the driver for questioning. If it is confirmed that the trailer caused the crash, the driver will face prosecution on charges of reckless driving causing death.

Key Takeaways

• A 36-year-old teacher died after his pickup truck collided with a 10-wheel lorry in Chaiyaphum on 15 January.

• Police believe the crash was triggered by sugarcane falling from an overloaded trailer, causing the victim to swerve suddenly.

• Authorities are investigating a suspected sugarcane trailer and may charge the driver with causing death by negligence.

Related Stories

Hit-and-run-lorry-kills-Myanmar-couple-in-Sadao-crash

Taxi-crash-after-local-polls-kills-three-in-Pathum-Thani

Adapted by ASEAN Now from Naewna 2026-01-16