Phuket Truck Powerless On Patong Hill

[webfact]

Phuket truck powerless on Patong Hill

Phuket Gazette

ALL STOP: The truck pitched halfway up Patong Hill, bringing traffic on the main road linking Patong and Phuket Town to a standstill. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

With the cab pointing skyward, the power poles started sliding off the back of the truck. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

PHUKET: -- A 10-wheeled truck carrying more than 50 concrete power poles pitched while trying to climb Patong Hill this morning, causing a traffic tailback stretching about 1.5 kilometers.

The mishap occurred at about 11:30am, while the truck tried to climb the steep incline on the western side of the hill in its bid to deliver the power poles to a construction company in Patong.

Halfway up the slope, the truck pitched. With the cab now pointing skyward, the concrete poles started sliding off the back of the truck and into the path of the traffic following close behind, explained Sen Sgt Maj Kritchana Songsri of the Tung Thong Traffic Police.

“There were no injuries and no collisions. It just caused a traffic jam while we directed cars and motorbikes to go around the stalled truck,” he said.

The ensuing tailback stretched all the way to the Caltex gas station at the See Kor Intersection, about 1.6 kilometers from the western base of the hill.

At last report, Sen Sgt Maj Kritchana was organizing the safe removal of the truck and the spilled power poles.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...Hill-19607.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-11-30

[NomadJoe]

That photo optimizes Thailand. Overloading your donkey cart with a modern twist.

Edited November 30, 2012 by NomadJoe

[Shot]

I wonder how much each pole weighs? And, what the weight limit on the truck is?

Seems like every other time I cross that hill, there's something stuck on it. Maybe a tunnel would be better

[JetsetBkk]

"With the cab pointing skyward, the power poles started sliding off the back of the truck."

I think the "cause and effect" are incorrect here:

Cause: the steep hill made the badly secured poles start to slide backwards

Effect: the truck "pitched"

[seedy]

I wonder how much each pole weighs? And, what the weight limit on the truck is?

Seems like every other time I cross that hill, there's something stuck on it. Maybe a tunnel would be better

In Canada, tandem duals are allowed 17,000 Kg gross - different provinces/territories have different limits on how much you can be over without having to reduce load.

Edited November 30, 2012 by seedy

[Valentine]

"With the cab pointing skyward, the power poles started sliding off the back of the truck."

I think the "cause and effect" are incorrect here:

Cause: the steep hill made the badly secured poles start to slide backwards

Effect: the truck "pitched"

Seems a pretty fair summation of events.

[hkt83100]

"With the cab pointing skyward, the power poles started sliding off the back of the truck."

I think the "cause and effect" are incorrect here:

Cause: the steep hill made the badly secured poles start to slide backwards

Effect: the truck "pitched"

Something missing: Because the driver changed gear too late he created a momentum which added to the backwards inclination and caused the poles to slide off the truck.

[NomadJoe]

^ There is no way in hell any of you can determine the exact cause and effect. This is all silly speculation.

[LivinginKata]

^ There is no way in hell any of you can determine the exact cause and effect. This is all silly speculation.

Well ... we can all see the 'effect' in the photo. The cause we can speculate 1) unsecure load, 2) over loaded/badly balanced, and 3) poor driving skills. I vote for all 3 adding to that 'accident'.

[JetsetBkk]

^ There is no way in hell any of you can determine the exact cause and effect. This is all silly speculation.

One thing's for sure: the explanation given by the Gazette is wrong: "Halfway up the slope, the truck pitched. With the cab now pointing skyward, the concrete poles started sliding off..."

What does "pitched" mean? - the front cab pitched up, pointing skyward?

Why would it do that? - it wouldn't, unless the poles were already sliding off the back.

The Gazette got it wrong, unless I don't understand the word "pitched".

Anyway, we enjoy speculating here. I'm just glad it's not about how somebody ended up dead.

[Payboy]

That photo optimizes Thailand. Overloading your donkey cart with a modern twist.

The modern twist being that the donkey was in the drivers seat here.

[XINLOI]

Sorry but those poles don't look like power poles to me. Mainly because they don't have rows of holes staggered on all sides so the workers can climb the poles when they are stood upright. I imagine they are pier poles, the ones that are hammered in for bridge and large building supports. I do agree with the unsecured load idea because I have seen it in Thai about 1 too many times. The worst incident was just outside Kumpawapi about 6 months ago. Remember the cop car in the 1st "final destination" where the log comes bouncing through his windshield? Now imagine a truckload of those Eyucalyptus tree logs, falling out the back of a truck and hitting, bouncing into the vehicles behind it. Everyone who was sitting up in two cars behind were literally cut in half by those logs and so were the vehicles.....

[NomadJoe]

Sorry but those poles don't look like power poles to me. Mainly because they don't have rows of holes staggered on all sides so the workers can climb the poles when they are stood upright. I imagine they are pier poles, the ones that are hammered in for bridge and large building supports.

But "Phuket truck pierless on Patong Hill" doesn't have the same ring to it.

[Rooo]

Well at least the driver couldn't run away that easy.

[osiboy]

love these photos, brilliant !,...................i wonder who the foreman and quantity surveyer were ? , this is the outcome of never failing to pass your exams ,.......masters degree's from a thai uni for sure !, seriously funny