12 killed as 10-wheeler overturns in Loei

[webfact]

ACCIDENT
12 killed as 10-wheeler overturns in Loei
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Twelve workers were killed and 19 others injured when a 10-wheel truck carrying them to work in Nakhon Phanom lost control at what is considered "a dangerous curve" in the road in Loei's Phu Ruea district early Monday.

After receiving a report about the accident at 2am, police rushed to the scene at the 23-24 kilometre marker on Wang Saphung-Phu Ruea Road and found that the truck had overturned and smashed into the road rail.

Nine of the victims died instantly from the impact and three others succumbed to injuries later.

The driver, Lert Mankong, who was slightly injured, said he was driving 26 sugarcane-cutters plus truck owner Sampao Poungkaew from Sukhothai to Nakhon Phanom's Phon Sawan district in a modified double-decker truck. The passengers were in the lower deck, while the upper deck was used to carry a motorcycle and luggage.

The driver said he realised the brake was malfunctioning when he stepped on it while going downhill, which is when he lost control of the vehicle and slammed into the road rail.

He said he chose to purposely slam into the rail because if he hadn't, the truck would have fallen into an abyss and nobody would have survived.


-- The Nation 2014-04-08

[webfact]

Loei: 12 Workers Killed By Modified Truck Crash
By Khaosod English

BANGKOK: -- A modified 10-wheeler truck has crashed in Loei province, killing at least 12 passengers en route to their hometowns for Songkran holidays.

The incident reportedly took place at around 02.00 at the 23-24 km section of Sai Road, which ran downhill into a perilous bend. At the scene, rescue workers found wreckage of the truck smashed into concrete wall on the side of the road.

Some of the deceased passengers were found in a ravine close to the wreckage, presumably due to the impact of the truck crash.

Police said 9 people died at the scene, and three more passed away at hospital. At least 10 people are also reported injured, while the owner and the driver of the truck have been detained by the police.

The owner, Mr. Yan Puangkaew, told police that the truck departed Si Satchanalai district at around 18.00 with 26 employees who worked at his sugar cane farm. Mr. Yan said he appointed Mr. Loet Mankong to drive the truck to bring him and his employees home to Nakhon Phanom province, so they could celebrate Songkran - or Thai traditional New Year - with their families.

When the truck started to descend down the slope, Mr. Loet said, he lost control of the vehicle, possibly due to faulty brake, and so decided to slam the truck into a concrete wall to stop the vehicle. However, the impact caused the truck to overturn and hurl many passengers off to their death.

According to the police, the truck has been converted to hold some cargoes on its roof, and a number of passengers were sitting on the upper part of the truck at the time of the accident.

A police officer added that the area where the accident occurred is known by the local residents as "Curve of 100 Deaths" due to frequent road fatalities in the vicinity.

It is not immediately clear whether Mr. Loet and Mr. Yan would face any charge.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1396871558&typecate=06&section=


-- Khaosod English 2014-04-08

[casindonet]

Why is it always brake failure? Don't anyone in thailand check their brakes?

Sent from my GT-I9200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[useronthenet]

I have never known a country that has so many road accidents as Thailand … will they ever learn ?

[noitom]

The brakes didn't work. 12 Thais dead.

[Spoonman]

Why is it always brake failure? Don't anyone in thailand check their brakes?

Sent from my GT-I9200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I dont think it is actually lack of maintenance that is the cause but more to do with driver education and they ride the brakes down hill instead of choosing a lower gear and letting the engine braking assist.

Brake fluid then boils and viola..... no more brakes.

R.I.P.

[Crazy chef 1]

at least the driver hasn't done the usual runner but will he be held accountable- i doubt it.

R.I.P.

[Roadman]

Another week or two weeks in Thailand...another bus, truck or van crash...another 12, 25, 14, 6, 31, or whatever the number...as with the political system the thai incompetence and lack of value for ordinary citizens is nothing short of pathetic..R.I.P for yet more volumes of dead

Edited April 7, 2014 by Roadman

[furyrider]

Brake fluid boils. You should do a little more research before posting. Air breaks have the same trouble but there is no break fluid to boil.

[Spoonman]

Brake fluid boils. You should do a little more research before posting. Air breaks have the same trouble but there is no break fluid to boil.

Ahhh I assumed it was a pickup. missed the part about 10 wheeler..... I need more coffee.

My bad.

[rametindallas]

Now known as Curve of 112 Deaths. RIP Sad Songkran for their families.

[AhFarangJa]

a modified truck, how exactly does that work? oh I know, there is no inspection or build criteria. Just throw the workers in the back, yet I get a fine for carrying bags of rice in the back of a pick-up without using a cargo net.....R.I.P. to the people just trying to earn a living.

[irishsmile]

Another ordinary day in the land of craziness, tomorrow, next day after tomorrow or later this week the same event .... Different incident ... Same story.... Death on Thai roads.... Sad but so predictable.... They will never react or learn.

[bangkokheat]

Brake fluid boils. You should do a little more research before posting. Air breaks have the same trouble but there is no break fluid to boil.

maybe you should do a little researching, try air assisted hydraulic brakes, some countries use them, ,japan uses them, truck could have been jap import or just a very old truck

[chrisrazz]

Have driven that road a few times. A beautiful mountainous drive, and, it is very easy to get distracted by the scenery. I would hate to get stuck behind a 10 wheeler on this track. Sounds like they cut across the mountain range as it looks more direct on the maps, yet it is an extremely long drive on badly maintained winding roads. There are safer, faster alternatives on decent roads that could be used, that, on the maps would appear far longer.

Edited April 8, 2014 by chrisrazz

[Pikeybkk]

who said they were all Thai, these are sugar cane cutters, a lot of Burmese or Cambodian do this job in thailand

The brakes didn't work. 12 Thais dead.

[stickylies]

ask the lawyer, yesterday, on TV: is it illegal to transport people in the back of truck/pickup.

yes it is illegal...

[wprime]

Why is it always brake failure? Don't anyone in thailand check their brakes?

Sent from my GT-I9200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I dont think it is actually lack of maintenance that is the cause but more to do with driver education and they ride the brakes down hill instead of choosing a lower gear and letting the engine braking assist.

Brake fluid then boils and viola..... no more brakes.

R.I.P.

It seems to happen once a week that a truck driver loses control down a hill for this reason. You'd think all of the bad truck drivers would've died by now.

[Artisi]

Why is it always brake failure? Don't anyone in thailand check their brakes?

Sent from my GT-I9200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I dont think it is actually lack of maintenance that is the cause but more to do with driver education and they ride the brakes down hill instead of choosing a lower gear and letting the engine braking assist.

Brake fluid then boils and viola..... no more brakes.

R.I.P.

It seems to happen once a week that a truck driver loses control down a hill for this reason. You'd think all of the bad truck drivers would've died by now.

Sorry, the gene pool isn't depleted as yet although many working on it.

[allan michaud]

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I have never known a country that has so many road accidents as Thailand … will they ever learn ?

That is why Thailand is number 2 or 3 in the word for road deaths. And in answer to your question, very doubtful.

[Artisi]

Luckily for Thailand they don't have the equivalent of the Swiss alps - can you just imagine the numbers of brake failure every day.

[Coaster11]

Have driven that road a few times. A beautiful mountainous drive, and, it is very easy to get distracted by the scenery. I would hate to get stuck behind a 10 wheeler on this track. Sounds like they cut across the mountain range as it looks more direct on the maps, yet it is an extremely long drive on badly maintained winding roads. There are safer, faster alternatives on decent roads that could be used, that, on the maps would appear far longer.

Yeah,me too. Very windy and steep,gotta have your wits about you, even in an empty pickup let alone a 10 wheeler in the dark-2am.

[biplanebluey]

Why is it always brake failure? Don't anyone in thailand check their brakes?

Sent from my GT-I9200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I dont think it is actually lack of maintenance that is the cause but more to do with driver education and they ride the brakes down hill instead of choosing a lower gear and letting the engine braking assist.

Brake fluid then boils and viola..... no more brakes.

R.I.P.

It seems to happen once a week that a truck driver loses control down a hill for this reason. You'd think all of the bad truck drivers would've died by now.

This one didn't die

[ratcatcher]

I wonder why large diesel trucks and buses aren't fitted with "engine compression brakes" or as they are sometimes called, "Jake brakes"? It might help these downhill runaways? But then.............. Perhaps a poster familiar with these systems can comment?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compression_release_engine_brake

[Hippos]

Yep steep hill and not using engine breaking. RIP for the workers.

[djayz]

Shocking news... 12 killed in one accident.

Unacceptable by most western standards to transport people in the back of a lorry but this is, after all, a developing country and they simply don't have laws to help prevent this from occurring.

I think it's all about the driver's skill and training. Give them proper driving lessons and driving test and explain the concept of road safety and regulations and I'm sure there would be a reduction in the number of accidents.

[edwinchester]

Shocking news... 12 killed in one accident.

Unacceptable by most western standards to transport people in the back of a lorry but this is, after all, a developing country and they simply don't have laws to help prevent this from occurring.

I think it's all about the driver's skill and training. Give them proper driving lessons and driving test and explain the concept of road safety and regulations and I'm sure there would be a reduction in the number of accidents.

There are the exact laws to prevent this sort of incident from happening. For whatever reasons those laws are not enforced by the Royal Thai Police Force.

[Artisi]

Yep steep hill and not using engine breaking. RIP for the workers.

Yep, as I've said in other threads, driver failure not brake failure.

[Jeremy50]

This is a beautiful stretch of road that links loei to Phitsanulok, running through Dan Sai and Nakon Thai, it has undergone a lot of widening in recent years. Really, riding on top of a truck is never a good idea, in the west it would be considered insane.

[art vandelay]

since being on TV i realise just how many multiple fatality road accidents there are here, almost weekly. it's hard to believe that there is no one in this country who cares enough to do anything about it - apart from knee jerk 'ban double decker buses' reactions...