Fourth-year student killed when car plunges down from expressway

BANGKOK: -- A fourth-year student was killed when his car plunged down the second stage expressway early Wednesday.

Police said the car fell down at the Y intersection of the expressway near Silom exit over the Suriwongse Road.

The man was carrying a student identification card of Bangkok University and was identified as Natthapol Boonyasaksri, 22.

Police said the man was apparently heading to Phra Pradaeng but lost control and fell from the expressway.

-- The Nation 2007-11-14

I don't fully understand this, how do you "fall" off the expressway? Aren't there barricades?

At any rate, condolences to the friends and family of the deceased.

If you go fast & drunk enough, it IS possible if you try hard.

The first time I have heard of such an incident,

which is surprising in the 25 years of the Expressways.

It does happen, but generally not with a car, which hits the cement and is twisted into a mess. Near where I lived, we had a truck that managed to hit and jump the barrier on the elevated road and come (almost) crashing down. It was a BIG truck and the back got caught on the way down, so it was dangling there.

The driver wasn't killed (I think he was only slightly injured). He apparently fell asleep with his foot on the accelerator, so the truck managed to gain enough speed to make it through the barricade. I can tell you this much, it was an odd sight to see that truck hanging there!

Cars, apparently, don't fare as well.

I seem to remember reading something like this at least 3 times over the last few years. I haven't seen any pictures of this particular accident but if it is like the others then the driver hit the concrete ramp that they place at the Y section when a slip road splits from the Tollway. Their design acts like a ski jump and the car simply flies over the edge. They need water barrels like in the states or barriers that guide the car to either side of the drop like in the UK.

Tragic for the occupants and their families but it could be prevented in the future if some thought was put accident provention.

Quite a few rollover and flipping scenarios would allow a car to go over the normal barriers - and I would think some impacts with other vehicles would allow a launching over the barrier.

A woman driving a truck full of bricks lost control up there, down went the truck along with a shower of bricks. Unbelievably, no one was killed below. She didn't make it.

About 80 cm high, those barriers can't stop everything thrown at them, especially here.

And, especially not those buses doing 130kph. Just a matter of time.

Except for Songkran, they allow transport but shouldn't, let them stay below.

There are two fine examples South of Bang Na, on 2 different occasions, trucks have dropped LOADS of paint onto the road in 2 different places, a permanently stained reminder that will go unnoticed for years, except for the stain. Not mentioning gouges, skid marks on the road and barriers.

The first time I have heard of such an incident,

which is surprising in the 25 years of the Expressways.

25 years? Don't think so. I watched them being built and it certainly wasn't 25years ago.

I don't fully understand this, how do you "fall" off the expressway? Aren't there barricades?

At any rate, condolences to the friends and family of the deceased.

It's hard to imagine it. From the description, I think I have found the intersection the article is talking about on a map (see attachd images). I have put a red dot over where I think the car must have gone over the edge, between the two branches of the 'Y' intersection. It's hard to tell at this resolution, but it doesn't look like there is much of a barricade.

Tragic. Hopefully this will lead to more safety barricades and more awareness of traffic safety.

The first time I have heard of such an incident,

which is surprising in the 25 years of the Expressways.

25 years? Don't think so. I watched them being built and it certainly wasn't 25years ago.

about 4 yrs ago a female student returning from a graduation party drove her car off the expressway in the same area with a horrible result...photos were all over the thai language news papers