22 students injured in Pattaya Highway crash

[webfact]

22 students injured in Pattaya Highway crash



PATTAYA: -- 22 Pattaya Students who were on their way to school on Wednesday Morning in a Minivan were injured in a crash which involved a container truck which was forced to take evasive action to avoid a parked pick-up.

The minivan, driven by Khun Manit aged 57 was travelling beside the container truck, driven by Khun Natapon aged 24. He failed to spot a stationary pick-up in the left-hand lane until it was too late. As he served to avoid the parked-vehicle the truck jack-knifed and the container it was carrying came off the trailer which came to rest in a ditch on the left-side of the Highway 36 carriageway.

Travelling next to the truck was the minivan full of children. The vehicle was struck by the jack-knifing trailer and came to rest in the central reservation.

Full story: http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/116847/22-students-injured-in-pattaya-highway-crash/


-- Pattaya One 2014-01-30

[Dr Bruce]

22 Students injured in a 12 seater bus, this is forked up beyond all sense.

[webfact]

Van, container truck smash injures 22 schoolchildren
The Nation

PATTAYA: -- Twenty-two students were injured after a container fell off a trailer truck onto their student van in Chon Buri's Bang Lamung district yesterday. The accident took place at 7am on the bypass number 36 (Krathing Lai- Rayong) in Tambon Nong Pla Lai.

Police found the wrecked van in the middle of the road while the 22 injured Prathom and kindergarten students were receiving first aid. Eight students were seriously injured and taken to Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, while others who were less seriously hurt waited for parents to pick them up.

Van driver Manit Singsomboon, 57, told police he was transporting the students to Srisuwit School when he reached the road curve where another pick-up truck had already been in a separate accident. He slowed down as the oncoming trailer truck apparently lost control, swaying from side to side until a container fell on to the van, Manit said.

Trailer truck driver Natthapol Phokha said he tried to brake to avoid the pick-up truck and swerved to the side when he saw the van. He turned in the opposite direction to miss it when the container fell off.


-- The Nation 2014-01-30

[SaamBaht]

That's a lot of people in that small van! And it was caused by a parked car. These people believe they have a right to park anywhere. <deleted>???

[laurentbkk]

Amazing Thailand one more time , 22 students in a 12 seats mini van ...... there is nothing more to say

[brfsa2]

Lack of care and respect for children lives. This is a total disgrace,... a mini van with 22 kids?!

it's also possible it must have been driving at high speed, as usual, when you drive slow, there are always a chance to avoid accidents.

[Tywais]

That's a lot of people in that small van! And it was caused by a parked car. These people believe they have a right to park anywhere. <deleted>???

From the article, it wasn't parked but stopped (stationary) due to being in an accident.

[LennyW]

That's a lot of people in that small van! And it was caused by a parked car. These people believe they have a right to park anywhere. <deleted>???

Amazing Thailand one more time , 22 students in a 12 seats mini van ...... there is nothing more to say

Lack of care and respect for children lives. This is a total disgrace,... a mini van with 22 kids?!

it's also possible it must have been driving at high speed, as usual, when you drive slow, there are always a chance to avoid accidents.

Guys, the mini van, for once, is not at fault here, there was an earlier accident which left a stationery pick up on the road - not intentionally parked, a truck with a container onboard tried to take avoiding action and lost control losing it's container in the process, the container unfortunately hit the van which was already slowing down as the driver had seen the accident ahead.

22 in a 12 seater van is not clever, but it did not cause the accident.

[harrycallahan]

If they're not wearing seatbelts anyway not sure it matters if you put 12 or 22 in it. More get injured when accidents happen, and more arrive safely when they don't.

[LennyW]

If they're not wearing seatbelts anyway not sure it matters if you put 12 or 22 in it. More get injured when accidents happen, and more arrive safely when they don't.

Seatbelts wont prevent a container dropping on you.

[harrycallahan]

If they're not wearing seatbelts anyway not sure it matters if you put 12 or 22 in it. More get injured when accidents happen, and more arrive safely when they don't.

Seatbelts wont prevent a container dropping on you.

Are you sure that's true?

Regardless no container fell on this van and most accidents don't involve falling objects from above, not probably not too relevant to the broader issue.

[Asiantravel]

That's a lot of people in that small van! And it was caused by a parked car. These people believe they have a right to park anywhere. <deleted>???

Absolutely nothing new about that? How many times do you see cars double parked or even triple parked around the city centre?

[DoctorG]

Hate to imagine what it would have been like if the container actually landed on top of the van. Hope all the kids are going to be ok.

[peterpaintpot]

Surely it is impossible for a container to fall off of a truck or trailer as they are supposed to be locked down. Not that I'm suggesting negligence by the transport company or driver!!

[Patje]

That's a lot of people in that small van! And it was caused by a parked car. These people believe they have a right to park anywhere. <deleted>???

Amazing Thailand one more time , 22 students in a 12 seats mini van ...... there is nothing more to say

Lack of care and respect for children lives. This is a total disgrace,... a mini van with 22 kids?!

it's also possible it must have been driving at high speed, as usual, when you drive slow, there are always a chance to avoid accidents.

Guys, the mini van, for once, is not at fault here, there was an earlier accident which left a stationery pick up on the road - not intentionally parked, a truck with a container onboard tried to take avoiding action and lost control losing it's container in the process, the container unfortunately hit the van which was already slowing down as the driver had seen the accident ahead.

22 in a 12 seater van is not clever, but it did not cause the accident.

It's the same with guns, they don't kill either, but it's bound to happen in the wrong hands. And stacking kids is not wise, look around, they do it all the time. No one reacts until it happens ....

[JesseFrank]

Surely it is impossible for a container to fall off of a truck or trailer as they are supposed to be locked down. Not that I'm suggesting negligence by the transport company or driver!!

Reality is hat I see those container trucks on a daily base on road 36, at speed way above 100 km/h and not a single one of the containers is locked on the trailer, however that process to lock it would take less than 5 minutes.

At least once a week there is a container fallen of the truck, and then I'm talking about only a 5 km stretch of named road.

[Estrada]

Surely it is impossible for a container to fall off of a truck or trailer as they are supposed to be locked down. Not that I'm suggesting negligence by the transport company or driver!!

I used to manufacture shipping containers and we design them with twist locks to secure them to the flat bed of the trailer. I have never in 30 years seen any containers secure using the twist locks here in Thailand. On the other hand I have seen plenty of containers fly off the back of the trailers when the lorry swerves right and the container goes left or vice versa. If you are lucky they will lash the container down, that is about it. Lucky no one died. Both drivers should be prosecuted.

[ignis]

22 Students injured in a 12 seater bus, this is forked up beyond all sense.

cannot find where it says a 12 seater Mini Bus ? most of the school Mini buses are 15 or 16 seaters...

We are back again to seat belts in public transport, then it would be overloaded ? or would it is there a Law here ?

No idea here, in UK the law was changed about 10 years ago, that passengers must be sat down [use to be able to also stand + was a sign stating how many seats and how many standing] School buses could only have 3 kids on 2 seats and NO standing allowed.. in the old days often had 80 - 90 kids on the 54 seat school bus run.

[belg]

22 students in a minivan ????

[PPA]

For once the driver did not run away. He must have been thinking it was not my fault and got it wrong.

[howsthat]

I remember 35 years ago in the UK my kids going to school on the school bus cause they were at a junior school it was 3 kids to a double seat. I recall protesting to the school and they said policy set by the country council.

So all those who criticize Thailand for this, well its happens all over the world.

[wprime]

That's a lot of people in that small van! And it was caused by a parked car. These people believe they have a right to park anywhere. <deleted>???

It was caused by a truck driver failing to pay attention and driving recklessly (making a blind maneuver).

Under what obscure version of Thai traffic law (or traffic law in any country) is the pick up driver at fault? Even if the truck driver didn't make the reckless maneuver and hit the rear of the pick up truck the truck driver he would still be entirely at fault.

Edited January 30, 2014 by wprime

[LuckyLew]

22 in a van, shame on them

They should name and shame all involved ... but nothing will be done and nothing will change, after LOS Land Of Smashups

Hope all the students recover quickly from any injuries

[jacko45k]

I live near this road.

It is horribly dangerous.......

The container trucks come hurtling down it and are often surprised by the bend where it joins Sukhumvit.

A stupidly parked or stationary vehicle is to be expected... not seeing it is plain ridiculous.

The road of course has many school buses (Regents school just up the road) and the kamikaze visa run mini-buses too going to and from the Cambodia border.

Edited January 30, 2014 by jacko45k

[Pattaya28]

Firstly, my heart goes out to the 22 young kids that were travelling in the minivan. What a horrific shock the impact must have been to them. Shocking!

Secondly, did the minivan driver have any consideration whatsoever for the safety of his passengers ? or was his only consideration for how many he could squeeze in on a "pay-per-head" basis ?

Thirdly, was the parents consideration on the basis that the more children that could be squeezed in, the lower the transportation cost ?

My last two points prove yet again that life is cheap here, and money is king.

I so hope the injured recover quick quick quick.

[Greenhill]

22 Students injured in a 12 seater bus, this is forked up beyond all sense.

cannot find where it says a 12 seater Mini Bus ? most of the school Mini buses are 15 or 16 seaters...

We are back again to seat belts in public transport, then it would be overloaded ? or would it is there a Law here ?

No idea here, in UK the law was changed about 10 years ago, that passengers must be sat down [use to be able to also stand + was a sign stating how many seats and how many standing] School buses could only have 3 kids on 2 seats and NO standing allowed.. in the old days often had 80 - 90 kids on the 54 seat school bus run.

You only have to look at the photo of the minivan to see that it is just that - a minivan!!!! If 12 kids are in that, it's FULL!!!!!! With 22 inside, it's well-overloaded but this is probably the regular, daily pick-up of students and their delivery to school??!! Could the parents care less??????!!!

[jeanpierre]

That's a lot of people in that small van! And it was caused by a parked car. These people believe they have a right to park anywhere. <deleted>???

Absolutely nothing new about that? How many times do you see cars double parked or even triple parked around the city centre?

not to many

[Pattaya28]

22 Students injured in a 12 seater bus, this is forked up beyond all sense.

cannot find where it says a 12 seater Mini Bus ? most of the school Mini buses are 15 or 16 seaters...

We are back again to seat belts in public transport, then it would be overloaded ? or would it is there a Law here ?

No idea here, in UK the law was changed about 10 years ago, that passengers must be sat down [use to be able to also stand + was a sign stating how many seats and how many standing] School buses could only have 3 kids on 2 seats and NO standing allowed.. in the old days often had 80 - 90 kids on the 54 seat school bus run.

You only have to look at the photo of the minivan to see that it is just that - a minivan!!!! If 12 kids are in that, it's FULL!!!!!! With 22 inside, it's well-overloaded but this is probably the regular, daily pick-up of students and their delivery to school??!! Could the parents care less??????!!!

Yes, the parents "could" care less, and do care less. They care about the transportation costs, so "pack-them-in" and the cost goes down.

The care is on par with buying their 12 13 14 year-old darlings motor bikes without safety helmets.

[Munger]

I remember 35 years ago in the UK my kids going to school on the school bus cause they were at a junior school it was 3 kids to a double seat. I recall protesting to the school and they said policy set by the country council.

So all those who criticize Thailand for this, well its happens all over the world.

Well that is a "thai apologist" at his best. So the driving standards, or accident rates here are the same as the UK

[slipperylobster]

22 Students injured in a 12 seater bus, this is forked up beyond all sense.

..and there was room for 2 more.