Phuket tour van crushed by overturned 10-wheeler

Fortunately there were no tourists in the Phuket tour van.

Photo: Wichai Witthawat

The scene at the Heroines’ Monument circle last night.

Photo: Wichai Witthawat

PHUKET: -- A 10-wheeled truck bound for Bangkok caused misery for Phuket commuters last night when it crashed into a tour van at the Heroines’ Monument in Thalang.

Thalang Police were notified of the crash at 6:40pm.

At the scene they found the truck on its side, pinning a crumpled van, operated by the Phuket Adventures tour company, against a traffic barrier.

Fortunately there were no passengers in the van and both drivers escaped injury.

Thalang Police duty officer Somkhit Khawsang questioned both men, learning that the truck was coming from Pa Khlok fully laden with crushed cardboard boxes bound for a recycling plant in Bangkok.

Much of the load fell onto the pavement when the truck crashed onto its side.

The driver said he was unprepared for the barriers set up to divert traffic flow during rush hour. Unable to brake in time, he slammed into the van, which was heading south on Thepkrasattri Road.

The driver of the truck was charged with negligent driving.

The accident caused long tailbacks at the busy roundabout, home to statues of Thao Thepkrasattri and Thao Srisoonthorn, Phuket's beloved heroines who are popularly believed to have led the successful resistance to a marauding army of Burmese slavers in 1785.

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-06-04

I'm kinda with the drive of the truck on this one. This was due to typical Thai bad road design, signage, and no warning that the east/west section of the circle is closed during rush hour.

I'm kinda with the drive of the truck on this one. This was due to typical Thai bad road design, signage, and no warning that the east/west section of the circle is closed during rush hour.

Yes that might be true, but perhaps compounded by his driving speed and distance to traffic in front, and perhaps truck brakes not so good for load weight ...

"The driver said he was unprepared for the barriers set up to divert traffic flow during rush hour. Unable to brake in time, he slammed into the van, which was heading south on Thepkrasattri Road."

If he was coming from Pa Khlok and the van was travelling south on Thepkrasattri, he must have entered the roundabout without stopping to give way to traffic from the right.

However I do agree with the post stating that the barriers and cones are dangerous as well as being a total pain in the butt.